


Aincrad Realized

by Xavier_Rall



Category: Sword Art Online
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Culture Shock, Drama, F/M, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Politics, Realization, Romance, Science Fiction, Virtual Reality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 06:04:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8001286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xavier_Rall/pseuds/Xavier_Rall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kayaba is dead. The game is beaten. So why are they still in Aincrad? Hold on, is that Tokyo down there?! Aincrad and everything inside, from the NPCs to the monsters and from the environment to the players` stats, have become real. Now, it`s time to deal with the consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Game Over?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Halkegenia Online](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/228286) by zero0hero. 



> I do not own Sword Art Online or its characters. I only own this story and my original characters.

**Prologue: Game Over?**

**November 7, 2024**

**Aincrad: 75** **th** **Floor – Boss Room**

**Normal POV**

"Game over, Kirito," declared Heathcliff, as he swung down his blazing red blade to strike down the Black Swordsman.

Everyone in his captive audience were chilled down to the virtual bone at those words, made just as Kirito was caught in the midst of the cooldown lag after shattering his second blade, Dark Repulser, against Kayaba`s unbreakable shield. They had all come to this very room with the purpose of destroying its denizen boss, so as to finally clear the 75th Floor, move on to the 76th, and get one Floor closer to the 100th, highest floor, where they would face the final boss, defeat it, and win freedom from the game. The loss of 14 comrades here, the most in one boss room since the lower 50 Floors, had been both unexpected and unnerving, especially with 25 more Floors to go, and all of them likely more difficult.

Even more unexpected and unnerving was the revelation that Heathcliff, the strongest player and leader of the most powerful guild, Knights of the Blood-Oath, was also their despised warden and jailor, Akihiko Kayaba, as well as the final boss on Floor 100. After Kirito made this discovery, Kayaba paralyzed everyone else in the room and goaded the second-strongest player in SAO into a duel to the death, forcing everyone, including his friends, like scheming, but charitable businessman Agil, failingly-flirtatious but ever-dependable Klein, and even his beloved, beautiful wife, Asuna, to watch, unable to do anything to change Kirito`s fate…

**Kirito POV**

At that moment, when his ever-reliable Dark Repulser failed against Heathcliff`s invincible defense, he experienced outright shock and disbelief, as if it was his arm that had broken instead.

When Kirito had received the Unique Skill, Dual Wielding, the first thing he did was get a second sword to match his powerful monster-drop weapon, Elucidator. This he found in Dark Repulser, which he had earned with the help of Asuna`s friend, the blacksmith Lisbeth. Then, he practiced it in secret, testing this new skill on powerful monsters to devastating effect, before unleashing it in full fury and public view against the Gleam Eyes of Floor 74, destroying it at the near-cost of his life. This skill had further marked him out as unique, and had even helped give him some positive, albeit unwanted, attention in contrast to people`s views of him as a Beater. To see his greatest and signature skill fail so spectacularly paralyzed him almost as much as the lag from using the skill.

All Kirito could do was watch Kayaba activate a Sword Skill, making his blade appear to be coated in flickering red flames, and move to bring it down upon him…

**Asuna POV**

So many feelings were flooding Asuna`s mind that it was nigh impossible for her to think rationally. Anguish, betrayal, fear, grief, helplessness, pain, love… These all were stewing around in her head like so many poorly mixing ingredients for a slop of soup. From the sudden unveiling of Heathcliff`s true self, the Paralyze effect on her and everyone else, Kirito`s denial of an escape, his desperate, hopeless battle, his selfless determination to win at all costs, all these contributed to the virtual waterfall of cascading emotions that defined her present mental state.

There was, however, another feeling brewing deep inside, one that was bubbling to the surface like lava from a volcano. It was anger. But this was not just any anger, it was a burning, passionate fury that a human being feels from a combination of the righteous indignation that a person feels against a great wrong, the complete and total hatred of a person` entire being that is born from a betrayal twice made, and the desire to protect a loved one from a menacing danger. This feeling, however, was not enough for Asuna to do anything about her husband`s predicament, not when she was just as paralyzed as Kirito when he was at the mercy of Kuradeel…

**Normal POV**

One moment, everyone watched in horror as Kayaba prepared to kill Kirito, and take away from them one of their strongest fighters and best hopes for escape.

The next moment was an all-around case of incredible disbelief.

The reason being that, if their eyes weren`t deceiving them, or the game`s virtual environment wasn`t somehow playing tricks with their NervGears, they could just swear that Asuna, the Lightning Flash, and vice-commander of the Knights of the Blood-Oath, had just somehow overcome the Paralyze effect, because they saw her standing right next to Kayaba, with her Lambent Light drawn, occupying a space between Kirito and Heathcliff, whose were both frozen still by her sudden appearance.

Then Heathcliff`s right forearm burst into fractals, letting his great sword fall harmlessly to the ground.

For the briefest of moments, there was silence, as everyone in the helpless gallery of spectators **dared** to feel hope once more.

Then, there was a shout- no, a **roar** , as Kirito recovered first from the unbelievable sight, seeing Kayaba himself caught in a brief lag, his shield held aside to make way for the now-failing sword, leaving the man with perfect defensive ability without defense. Kirito lunged forward, with a powerful killing intent reflected in his eyes, almost making them glow. He could see Kayaba`s brief shock morph into a smile…

And he pierced Heathcliff through with Elucidator.

**Kayaba POV**

In the end, as his hit points fell away, two feelings permeated his being: contentment, and pride.

At first, Asuna`s sudden interference was just as much of a surprise to him as everyone else, and right at the moment when he was about to conclude his duel and then head off to the Ruby Palace on the 100th Floor to await the Clearers. He didn`t remember allowing for any cheats that would allow for a player to disable their own Paralyze effect without crystals- oh, wait. Now he remembered Asuna`s report about Kuradeel`s betrayal, where he had in fact poisoned Kirito so as to Paralyze him. _She and Kirito must have taken precautions to not get caught off guard like that again,_ he thought. _And she must have only just remembered this to come to her husband`s rescue at the very last second, instead of earlier._

As he looked at them, his slayers, all he could think about was how proud he was of his accomplishment. First, he had created an entire world, filled with its own unique locations, creatures, and landscapes. He had filled with the possibility for adventures of every kind, from the Grand Quest for freedom, to simple everyday life in the towns and cities that dotted the Floors of Aincrad. Then, he populated it with thousands of people, who built new communities, organized an economy, manifested their own culture, and even wrote their own folklore, filled with as many legends as any real world populace. And, from a population of ordinary folk, true heroes had been forged.

Aincrad was a fantasy made real, and he was the architect. He knew that he would pass on having fulfilled his dearest dream, and seeing people make that dream into something greater than he could imagine. How could he not feel pride in his work, and feel content that he had accomplished all he had hoped for. And so, he closed his eyes, and waited for death…

The pain of a sword through the chest suddenly intensified, as his eyes shot open, his body doubled forward, and he coughed out blood.

Then he died, with an expression of pain and disbelief replacing the serenity that had been there only moments before.

**Real World: Asuna`s Hospital**

**Sugou POV**

He stood there, next to Mr. Yuuki, CEO of RECT Progress and his boss, as a show of support for the man whose daughter lay in the bed in front of them, her beautiful, luscious hazel locks sprawled out across her bed and pillow, while the futuristic-looking and sinister NervGear sat still over her head, blinking nondescriptly, mockingly, as it held her more securely imprisoned than a maximum security cell in isolation, while simultaneously threatening her with something more dangerous than Damocles` sword. Considering, however, what he and Mr. Yuuki were currently discussing, she could maintain the role of sleeping beauty for a while longer for all he cared.

"I and my wife will consider your proposal, Nobuyuki," Shouzou Yuuki said. "But, are you sure? I mean, Asuna hasn`t awakened yet, and there`s still no telling whether she will live or not."

"That`s exactly why it should be done as soon as possible," Sugou argued, careful not to let the truth slip out. "She and I both have always been good friends, you know this, and she will certainly understand if you did this without asking for her permission, and she won`t object anyways." _At least,_ he thought, _not of her own free will, considering she hates my guts._

His plan was perfect. After Argus` collapse, RECT Progress took over care of the SAO servers. Soon after, they used them as the basis for the release of their own VRMMORPG, ALfheim Online, or ALO for short. He, however, had seen the potential of the full-dive technology to not only submerge someone in a virtual world, but even create the possibility of mind-control. For a power-hungry soul like Sugou, it was far too tempting to pass up. So, he had made arrangements to test out these applications on the SAO players. When the game was over, 300 players of every demographic would, instead of being logged out, be shunted over to the ALO servers and be imprisoned in that game instead.

Asuna would be among their number, and he would use these same experiments to make her into his _beloved, devoted wife._

With such power at his fingertips, he could become G-

The NervGear stopped blinking. A moment later, the heart monitor attached to Asuna suddenly sounded a shrill _beeeeeeeeaaaaaaaappp._

Shouzou turned back towards his daughter, panicking, calling out her name, shaking her, clutching her close to his bosom, then calling out for a nurse. Sugou, on the other hand, stood shocked, frozen, as his life`s greatest desire was cheated from him by the very same power he sought to use to obtain it. It was only after a few moments that he noticed his phone ringing. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he answered it with a businesslike "Yes?"

"Mr. Nobuyuki, we have a major problem! We`re receiving word from the hospitals with the SAO victims- they`re dead! All of them dead!"

If Sugou was shocked before, now he had a feeling that would not have been out of place for a condemned man seated on the electric chair. The feeling was so strong, he failed to notice a shadow on the horizon…

**Kirigaya Household**

**Normal POV**

It was another normal day when it happened. Suguha was coming home from school, her mother, Midori, was doing some dishwashing, seeing as she was now home to do such normal things, and the father was out on a business trip to Osaka. Midori once again wished her husband would be home more often, and this of course led to her wishing that Kazuto, her nephew and adopted son, were also here to both help with the housework, and to enjoy this beautiful day outside of his bedroom, instead of playing video games inside. Suguha was once again looking forward to her virtual adventures in ALfheim as the Sylph swordswoman Leafa, which of course led her onto the tangent of wishing that she could fly in real life, as she looked up to see-

"Mom!" Midori heard Suguha cry out. "Are you seeing what I`m seeing?" She then walked outside, to see other people walking out of their homes, all of them looking up into the sky to see-

She blinked. She rubbed her eyes, shook her head and looked up again at what was supposed to be a clear, cloudless sky.

Instead, she saw a gigantic, floating, steel, **castle.**

And it was hovering several thousand feet above Tokyo.


	2. Revelations Written with Blood, Tears, and Pixels

Chapter One: Revelations Written with Blood, Tears, and Pixels

November 7, 2024

Aincrad: 75th Floor – Boss Room

Normal POV

Blood.

Any normal human being will cringe at the sight of flowing, bright red blood. After all, it is the means by which a human being remains alive and keeps their body functioning, and the many spiritual connotations associated with blood, especially human blood, over the millennia, further compound this phenomenon. But still, no matter how chilling or disgusting the image of blood leaving the human body is, it is still something that people expect to happen. If a person suffers from an opened wound, blood is, after all, expected, to come out. It`s just a part of being a flesh-and-blood human being.

But not a virtual one.

When Kirito pierced Heathcliff, there was, of course, the expected game`s sound effects of a blade piercing flesh, and the familiar resistance that the game simulates of the experience. He watched with quiet, but burning passion and contempt mixed with overwhelming relief as the murderer`s health points fell like a swift sword. He glanced sideways at his wonderful wife, Asuna, as he gave her a nod and a quiet, "We did it, didn`t we?" He was rewarded with a smile and a nod.

That was the moment that everything simply changed. It was at that moment that Kirito felt Kayaba lurch forward in pain on his sword and blood sprayed out from the wound down his blade, from the man`s mutilated arm, and flew out from Kayaba`s coughing mouth onto Kirito`s coat, before he gargled and hacked out his last, dying breath.

The last thirty seconds, all by themselves, were some of the most tense, jaw-dropping, shocking moments of the lives of everyone in the room. The last two years made up the most tense, jaw-dropping and shocking time of their lives.

The sight of blood, at that singular moment, put them all to shame.

Kirito POV

What? Wh- why`s there blood? Kirito thought. I don`t know if I`m hallucinating this or not, but it feels very real. I can see and smell it, and I sure as hell don`t want to touch or taste it either. Did Kayaba- no, he wasn`t expecting this at all. So what went wrong? There`s no way Kayaba would have allowed a glitch in the pain dampeners, especially not for himself. Did Cardinal do this? What is going on, why does everything feel so different all of a sudden, so- real?

As he let Heathcliff`s body unceremoniously slide off his sword to the ground, Kirito looked around, trying to find out why everything felt so weird all of a sudden. Suddenly, one of the players shouted.

"Kayaba`s dead!? Right?! SO WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?!"

That`s it, Kirito thought. Akihiko Kayaba may have been the lowest form of bastard there was, and he may have led people astray with his posing as Heathcliff, but he never lied to someone`s face directly, and was brutally honest about his intentions and end goal, and his game`s rules, as harsh as they may have been, were still fair, so he did have some semblance of sportsmanship. He wouldn`t have goaded Kirito into the duel if the reward hadn`t been real. So why-

"Mommy? Daddy?" He froze once again. "K-Kirito?" he heard Asuna stutter.

He turned slowly towards her, bloodied Elucidator and broken Dark Repulser falling from his hands, his heart hammering once more in his chest – it felt more real, visceral, somehow – and he saw his wife looking down, with wide, still-shocked, now-hopeful eyes, at the one thing that had made their love feel truly unbreakable, that made them feel like a real family, that they feared they would never see again-

"Yui."

Asuna POV

Asuna, with Kirito, immediately wrapped Yui in her arms, clutching her close to her bosom, fearing that she would disappear again before her eyes, as she wept tears of unbridled joy.

She had only known the small girl for only a few days, but she had given Asuna and her husband her complete and unconditional love from the first moment in her amnesiac state that she laid eyes on them, calling them "Mommy" and "Daddy". They only shared a few hours of time together, but Yui loved them like they were her real parents, and they, in turn, had come to love her like she was their real daughter. Even her later revelation that she was an AI did nothing to change that, in fact, it likely only served to strengthen their love, as Asuna and Kirito accepted her as a real person in spite of that. It was one of the most heart-breaking moments in Asuna`s life when the Cardinal System`s efforts to delete her after she saved the two of them in a dungeon made her dissolve into yellow fractals in her arms. Kirito, thankfully, succeeded in saving Yui`s core data into a game object-

Thinking on that, Asuna`s hand went to her neck, where she wore Yui`s Heart. It wasn`t there. And with Yui standing here, held in her arms, Asuna was fully convinced that her daughter, the brightest light in hers and Kirito`s lives, had indeed truly returned. Holding her out with hands on her shoulders, Asuna asked, "Yui, is that really you? Really? I can`t be happy without you. Can you say that you really have come back?" The little teared up herself, gave a smile that perfectly reflected Asuna`s, and simply said, "Yes." The three came together again in one great embrace, having become a family once more.

"Oy! Since when did you two get time to have a kid? And a damn cute one at that?!"

Klein POV

With the Paralysis effect having passed away for him, along with everyone else in the room, the instant he noticed the never-before-seen little girl who had just appeared out of nowhere and started acting like she was Kirito and Asuna`s kid, with the two of them reciprocating the feeling, Klein felt obligated to march up to the two lovebirds and demand an answer from them. His shout-out caused the group to look up in surprise, and disappointment, since their special moment was very rudely interrupted.

"Now, Kirito, I know you really like Asuna and all, I mean, I`ve seen it ever since I met you two partying together back on Floor 74, but how in hell do you meet, get laid, and have like a ten-year old kid who looks like a mini-Asuna with your colors, in only two weeks?!" he ranted, gesticulating at them wildly. "Yeah," he heard Agil say. "In fewer words, how did this happen?" The sentiment was shared by the other players in the room, who now had all seemed to have forgotten about Heathcliff`s bleeding corpse, focusing all of their attention on the small, unarmed, unarmored, and innocent-looking little girl.

Kirito and Asuna stood up, both of them keeping a hand on each of Yui`s shoulders, both of them smiling warmly, but with a slight look of embarrassment, and Yui looking a little nervous at all of the new faces and staring eyes. "Klein, Agil, everyone," Kirito said loudly. "This is Asuna and I`s daughter, Yui. And before you say anything, you Klein, especially, one, she`s adopted, two, she`s an AI, the game`s original Mental Health Counseling Program-" this elicited gasps all around, as she acted too human to be an NPC. "-and three, we love her like she`s our own, so if any of you have a problem with it, you can talk to my swords!"

"Hey, hey, man," Klein said, holding his hands out. "No need to get so defensive. I mean, so much crazy stuff just happened, and a little girl calling herself your daughter literally showing up out of nowhere is the most ridiculousness I can take in one day. Although, come to think of it, what the hell did just happen? I mean, why is Kayaba`s body bleeding out on the floor like that? Why didn`t he just burst into lights like everything else does in this damn game?"

"Good question," Kirito replied, bending down to pick up his bloodied black blade, holding it up horizontally before his eyes, watching the red liquid slowly drip from the sword to the floor. "Sword Art Online is the most fully-realized virtual reality ever made, with attention paid to even minor details like insects, small animals, and even individual plants. However, even this world has limits, such as the fields, instead of being made up of millions of individual grass stalks, are instead more like a rug made to feel like grass, as trying to make all of those individual grass plants would take up too much time and resources."

"Yeah, otherwise the game would take forever to make," Klein agreed.

"The same is true for the anatomies of every living thing. Trying to make a virtual avatar with complete internal organs, nervous system, muscle structure, and blood vessels would take too much work. And besides, during our first duel, I actually succeeded in cutting Heathcliff`s cheek, and it didn`t bleed. Also, Asuna cut his arm off, and I stabbed him through, and his avatar still reacted like any other object…" Kirito`s eyes slid over to Dark Repulser, Klein following his gaze, which was still in two pieces. "But then, why is Kayaba`s body still here, bleeding and dead instead of just gone, and why hasn`t Dark Repulser also vanished, since all weapons, once broken, are supposed to? And if Kayaba really is the final boss, and he`s dead, why isn`t the game over? Why aren`t we waking up in the real world?"

"Because this is the real world."

Everyone`s heads suddenly jerked up at the statement, looking toward its speaker, Yui. She continued. "Everything that is happening here, from the blood to the broken sword, is outside of the abilities of the Cardinal System, which runs the servers that Sword Art Online is based. Also, before all of this, as an AI and a purely digital existence, I could sense all of the workings and coding of Cardinal. But now, I am unable to sense the system at all, my five physical senses are all noticeably sharper, and also-" she grasped Asuna`s hand and placed it on the left side of her chest. After a moment, Asuna`s eyes widened and she gasped.

"I have a heartbeat, something no one in a virtual world should have, and yet I do. And everything alive that has a heartbeat, invariably, has a heart."

Klein`s own hand came over to his own chest, and, for the first time in over two years, he felt his heart pounding away, stronger than it ever had before. His reaction to this mimicked Asuna`s, and that of everyone else, as they all clutched where their hearts were. No way, Klein thought. This is so not happening. Being trapped in a virtual game until you die is crazy, but this-

Suddenly, there was a sound of ringing. Or rather, a lot of ringing, and it came from each and every player, or rather, from their pockets. And it sounded just like their menus. Klein reached down to his belt, pulling out-

A phone? Across its screen, he read [Important Message – Cardinal System]. He immediately tapped it, and read what Cardinal had to say.

Normal POV

All across Aincrad, only a few minutes before, life was going on as normally as it had for two years. People were shopping in markets for gear, clothing, armor, weapons, food, and other merchandise; guilds were meeting to discuss and handle their affairs and businesses; parties were hunting monsters, clearing dungeons, and performing quests; there were families, friends, and couples simply enjoying time together in a peaceful corner of the virtual world.

Silica was once again part of a new party, she and Pina were adventuring with them through the 49th Floor for the first time, exploring the main settlement of Myujen.

Lisbeth was in her shop on the 48th Floor, in the settlement of Lindarth, as she began putting all of her newly purchased metals in their appropriate places, so as to be ready for any new customer`s potential order.

Argo was in the Hidden Dungeon below the Town of Beginnings on the 1st Floor, trying to uncover its secrets.

Thinker and Yulier were in a meeting with the higher ranking players in the Aincrad Liberation Force, or Army as most people called them, discussing what to do about Kibaou, and his act of betrayal.

Nishida was just fishing on the 22nd Floor, like always.

The moment when it happened, not everyone noticed right away, but it was by those who saw their menus vanish in front of them, refusing to reappear in spite of all command, witness monsters and players alike in combat bleed when cut open, and saw Immortal Objects like houses suddenly take damage when blades met their walls. Then they all noticed the new menu ringing in their pockets or on their belts, and they all read the same message, delivered straight from the Cardinal System:

[The world of Sword Art Online, the castle of Aincrad, has, through an unforeseen and unexplainable phenomenon, become a physical existence in the real world.

[In regards to the players` menus, they have now manifested in the form of these tablets, each of which can only be used by the player it manifested to, and share many of the same functions as the original player`s menus, except for direct access to player`s and guild`s storage, which can now only be accessed through newly manifested storage points located in every settlement, and the tablet serves as the key for each player`s and guild`s own storage – no one can use their tablet to access storage that belongs to someone else.

[Players` avatars are now their real bodies, complete with flesh and blood, with player stats being translated into them. Also, player skills are now also real, with real world knowledge of these same skills now being a part of all players` consciousness.

[The NPCs have remained, and are now fully sentient and sapient human beings. The monsters and animals also remain and are now also fully realized physical existences and living creatures. The environment of Aincrad is now also fully physical, with all minute details previously not a part of the game due to the lack of necessity now included, such as indoor plumbing.

[The castle of Aincrad itself is now a fully realized physical existence in the real world. As the overseeing AI of Sword Art Online, I still remain the caretaker in charge of the maintenance of Aincrad`s newly manifested numerous systems, from weather control and air pressurization of each individual Floor to maintaining the floatation of Aincrad, so that it does not plunge to the ground below, endangering the lives of everyone in the castle and below it.

[Finally, thanks to access to global positioning satellites, the location of Aincrad is determined to be, at its lowest point, precisely 2,000 meters above Tokyo.

[Thank you for reading this message. End.]

Tokyo: Kirigaya Household

Suguha POV

Suguha couldn`t believe her eyes. At first, she thought that she was hallucinating, the long hours and myriad adventures in ALfheim Online as the Sylph swordswoman Leafa finally getting to her. But, she could not recall ever seeing a flying castle in ALfheim, or even hearing the vaguest rumors of one there. And yet, here it was, floating above the city in grand majesty, looking to be at least the size of the World Tree in ALfheim, if not bigger. She had already pinched herself on her arms and cheeks as well as slapping herself to see if it was a dream and confirmed it wasn`t. Standing there with her mother, and the other people in the street, it was a very surreal experience.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

"Where did it come from? It just appeared out of nowhere!"

"What`s it doing here?"

"Is this the end of the world?!"

Suguha gasped, beginning to contemplate just now how much danger they may be in. Her heart began to race and tears started forming in her eyes as her fear began rising, taking the place of her earlier confusion. And, she even began to fear for her older cousin- no, brother, as he was still trapped in that game of Sword Art Online, fighting for his life, completely oblivious to the fact that there was a GIANT FREAKING FLOATING CASTLE sitting right above Tokyo.

Wait, she thought, as something occurred to her. She realized the castle was actually familiar. She had never seen it in real life or in ALfheim, of course, but she had seen a picture of it-

"Mom! I know what that castle is! It`s Aincrad!" she yelled. Midori then turned to her in confusion, along with everyone on the street who heard her.

"What? Suguha, how do you know what that is?" her mother inquired.

"Because I`ve seen it before, on the case of Kazuto`s copy of Sword Art Online!"

Everyone around quietly or loudly gasped at that. Sword Art Online was the most infamous grouping of three words in history, ever since it was launched two years and one day ago, trapping 10,000 people in a virtual game, where the players had to beat the game to escape, or die trying. So far, over 3,000 had perished.

"Do you know what this means?"

"All of the players trapped by Sword Art Online might still be up there! Alive and well!"

"Miki, you made it."

"Asaki, are you still alive?"

Kazuto, wait for me, Suguha thought. I`m coming.

Asuna`s Hospital

A nurse, Shouzou Yuuki and Sugou Nobuyuki gazed at Aincrad through the window, as they contemplated the meaning of what they were looking at.

"Mr. Yuuki, do you realize what this means?" Sugou asked him.

"Tell me," Shouzou replied.

"The moment that we witnessed your daughter pass away here, Aincrad simply appeared out of nowhere, the very same place where Sword Art Online happens."

Shouzou`s eyes widened in hopeful surprise. "Which means Asuna might be still alive."

He immediately called his wife, giving her the news of the players` deaths, the arrival of Aincrad, and his hopes for Asuna`s survival.

Sugou, on the other hand, began thinking on something else entirely. Aincrad, a digital existence suddenly becoming a physical existence, possibly with all of its in-game features translated to the real world. If it happened once, it could happen again. And again, and again, and again, in any configuration we like. All we have to do is figure out how.

SAO Task Force Headquarters

Two years and one day had passed since the emergence of the crisis known as the SAO Incident. Two years since the ineffectual response to it known as the SAO Task Force. Seijirou Kikuoka, who headed the task force was sitting at his desk, drinking his coffee and reading reports that detailed the players` current progress through Aincrad and their remaining numbers, when the room suddenly went dark. He turned around, and saw the impossible, in the form of the real life vision of Aincrad. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, but then he heard his secretary burst in through the door, breathless, and then drop the papers she was clutching at the sight, confirming the strange reality of the situation.

Turning to her slowly, maintaining a semi-calm demeanor, he said, "Call everyone. We need to discuss what just happened, and find out what to do next."


	3. Clouds on the Horizon

Chapter Two: Clouds on the Horizon

**November 7, 2024**

**Aincrad: 1** **st** **Floor – Town of Beginnings – Black Iron Palace**

**Asuna POV**

Looking at her recently-acquired tablet, Asuna noticed that the time was now 6:59 PM Tokyo Time.

She was currently seated in the conference room of the Aincrad Liberation Front, or the Army as most players called them, located in the Black Iron Palace in the Town of Beginnings on Aincrad`s 1st Floor. Two other members of the Knights of the Blood-Oath stood behind her and Kirito sat beside her. She and Kirito had decided to leave Yui at the church with the other children there, although Sasha was also here, seated at the table. Also seated around the table were Thinker and Yulier of the Army, Klein of Fuurinkazan, Agil, Schmitt and George of the Holy Dragon Alliance, Argo, Kibaou of the recently-established First Legion, as well as several other people from various guilds on different Floors, so that there were a grand total of twenty-five people gathered around the table, representing guilds of all sizes and types, from social and crafting to farming and clearing, excluding the thieving and murder guilds, like the now-defunct Titan`s Hand and notorious Laughing Coffin. Some were silent, some were talking with the people next to them, but all were quiet, without exception.

The clock then turned to 7:00, and Asuna then stood up, bringing silence to the room. The meeting had begun.

"Thank you all for coming here on short notice to this meeting, and thank you Thinker, for hosting this."

"No problem, Asuna," he replied. "I still owe you for saving my life back in that dungeon. It`s the least I can do." He then glanced at Kibaou, who glared back.

The player and his supporters had tried to take control of the Army by stranding Thinker in a dungeon below the very Palace they were sat in. Asuna and Kirito, with Yui and Yulier, had to go down there to find and rescue him. They were soon after exiled from the Army, and enough had defected afterwards that Kibaou was able to form the First Legion, which, before the current series of events, was just beginning to make its presence known. Asuna never liked Kibaou, not from the first moment she saw him at the first boss raid meeting two years prior. She liked him even less now, and he had become dangerous, and needing an eye kept on at all times. That was why he was here at this conference, so that she could gauge the loathsome individual`s reaction to their current situation.

"Now, I am certain that all of you are aware of what happened only hours ago, where Aincrad very suddenly changed, in every way from the monsters, to us, to the NPCs, to the world itself. And that we all received one of these-" she held up her tablet- "which had a message from the Cardinal System, the AI that oversees Aincrad, that gave instructions to its use and stated that everything in Aincrad is now real, as well as that Aincrad itself now hovers about two kilometers above Tokyo itself. Correct?" Everyone responded with yesses, head-nodding, and grunts of affirmation. Asuna sat back down.

"Is that really true?" someone spoke out. All heads turned toward him. It was Tucker, head of the crafting guild known as the Friars, which was based in Dansbury, on the 33rd Floor. "I mean, we`ve all been duped into playing a Death-Game by Kayaba, and this world was pretty realistic to start. Couldn`t this just be an update? With that message from this 'Cardinal System' be just a sick joke on his part?"

"No," Kirito said, speaking up. "As unbelievable as this might sound, I have no doubt in my mind that everything in Aincrad has now, somehow, become reality. The NervGear can only simulate so much virtual environment to a certain degree, and ever since this… change, everything has been given a level of detail so crisp that it`s beyond anything the world has developed to date. And besides that, I`m pretty sure that this wasn`t a part of Kayaba`s plan at all."

"All right then, Beater," Kibaou said. "We all know you`re smart, you`d have to be to just leave everyone helpless while you ran on ahead, but what makes you think that you know Kayaba so well, huh?" He leaned in forward. "Could it be that you were working with him this whole time?"

Kirito responded before anyone else could react. "Because I saw the look on his face as I killed him when our whole world got turned upside down again."

Silence. The kind that people say you can hear a pin drop. More accurately, it's the kind of silence that makes anyone a part of it too afraid to make a noise, out of fear of creating a storm.

Asuna then stood up once more, drawing all attention to her like a magnet. "That is the other reason for this meeting. Recently, the Clearing groups successfully fought and defeated the Boss of the 75th Floor, known as the Skull Reaper, but at the cost of fourteen people. But, after we destroyed it, Kirito discovered that Heathcliff, commander and Guildmaster of the Knights of the Blood-Oath, was, in fact, Akihiko Kayaba, which he then confirmed, and further stated that he was also the final boss on Floor 100."

That caused a brief outburst among the gathered, as everyone sat up straight, shot out of their seats, and all demanded answers from the former Vice-Commander.

"Your commander was Kayaba all along?!"

"How could you have never known?"

"What else are you hiding from us?"

Asuna was afraid of this kind of reaction. With Heathcliff`s true identity revealed, she had been afraid of what the other players would think of the Knights, and herself by association.

"SHUT UP!" CRASH!

Everyone`s heads jerked over to Klein, who had an angry face and a fist that lay at the epicenter of newly-formed cracks in the table, which used to have a status of Immortal Object, but was now clearly mortal, as much as an inanimate object could. He then spoke.

"Look, no one could have known the truth about Heathcliff, he had us all pegged for idiots. We all looked up to the guy, and he was just waiting for us to all get to the top to stab us all in the back. But now the bastard`s dead, thanks to Kirito and Asuna. You can ask any one of us who was there, we saw it happen, we all saw Kirito put his sword through that son of a bitch`s chest, and we noticed the moment all this craziness happened the moment that blood was suddenly shooting out. And let me tell you, that was real blood."

Quiet murmuring followed, but everyone seemed to be convinced now of the course of events. Asuna chose then to speak up once more.

"Well, that is why I am here now, as the new Commander and Guildmaster of the Knights of the Blood-Oath. We now have seventy-five Floors Cleared, and still another twenty-five before the game is finished. However, because we`re in the real world now, this is no longer a game, and we no longer have a truly pressing need to clear the game, because now we no longer have the threat of our bodies dying in the real world on hospital beds linked to machines to keep them alive. So, in all honesty, it doesn`t seem that we have to clear any more Floors. But, the problem now is, we may now be in the real world, we still don`t have a way off of Aincrad to get home."

"Come on, it`s a simple answer," Klein said. "The message did say that we are sitting right above Tokyo, right? Everyone down there probably knows about what`s going on here, and will probably send planes and choppers and stuff up to pick us up. All we gotta do is wait."

"For how long?" Asuna replied. "We don`t know how long it will be for the Japanese government to send aircraft up bring us back, and besides that, there are over six thousand players still in Aincrad, scattered across all seventy-five Floors, so it will take some time before they could get everyone down. And besides that, we now have the issue of the NPCs to deal with."

"True that," said Agil. "While I was here, waiting for the meeting to start, I went over to the market streets, and the NPC merchants were all talking with one another quite animatedly, discussing everything from the prices of their wares and the weather to what they thought about the 'Awakening,' as they`re calling all this, and their opinions on the 'Quested,' as it seems they call us. Also, I learned that they call themselves the 'Denizens.' Point is, they`re now as alive as anyone here."

Asuna swallowed. During the game, she had regarded the NPCs as nothing more than game objects, despite their very human-looking appearance. It was a major point of contention and confrontation that had initially been a barrier in her relationship with Kirito. Although their friendship and then marriage had resolved a number of issues between them, she still had a habit of treating NPCs as things. _I`m going to have to fix that now more than ever, she thought._

"What about the monsters? What`s all this done to them?" someone else asked.

"They`re alive too, although more animal-like," Argo answered. "I was exploring the dungeon underneath this Palace, the same one that Thinker found out about only a few days ago, when all this insanity hit. From what I know, the only differences between the monsters of then and now is that they have more details, such as the possibility of now being able to breed, and that they`re a little bit smarter. They still maintain a lot of the same patterns they had as mobs, so they`re effectively unchanged, although I can`t say the same about those smarter-looking monsters that wield weapons until I do further research. And we don`t know what the Floor Bosses will be like, and I am not looking forward to it." She failed to mention the dungeon was the same one that Kibaou had trapped Thinker in. Accusations, distrust, and division would get everyone nowhere.

"Are you all forgetting the fact that _we_ are now different, too?" It was George of the Holy Dragon Alliance. "That same message said that our skills and stats are now real. A very obvious example would be Klein here putting a major crack in a stone table with his bare hand." Everyone looked back at where Klein`s fist had landed, noticing in far greater detail the fact the table now had a small crater with cracks and broken pieces radiating from the center. "We had superhuman speed and strength in the game. This has been translated to the real world. What do all of you think everyone back home`s going to think when we meet again? Will we be loved as friends and family, or feared and hated as freaks?"

That was an uncomfortable thought for everyone present, including Asuna. The entire purpose of beating the game was to return home to their normal, daily lives in the real world. But now, because of how they have returned, they may never have the opportunity to get back into their normal, daily routines. Asuna shuddered at the thought. Her parents and brother, friends from school, looking at her like a stranger. Then, she realized there was something worse. What would her family think of Kirito? What of her love and "marriage" to him? What about Yui? What would happen to their family if they met hers?

"I`m afraid that`s not even the biggest potential problem we have right now."

Everyone was interrupted from their train of thought by the sudden voice, whose owner stood up from his seat. This was Triton, head of the Eagles for the Rising Sun. The guild was well known and respected for two reasons, the first being that they claimed to be American servicemen and -women who were trapped in Aincrad like they were, and worked as a part-time security force in Aincrad`s middle Floors. The reason that it was where most of the game`s brigands and PKers resided, being that they were literally beyond the general reach of the Army and beneath the attention of the stronger Clearers, so they protected smaller and weaker guilds from them. Their role in putting away most of Aincrad`s thieves and murderers and granting a sense of safety to the players of those Floors was the reason they were called here.

"Aincrad, which was once nothing more than ones and zeroes on a server, has become real-life metal. And our player avatars have been translated into flesh and blood. All of this occurred in a single instant through means and methods that no one can explain. This event, this realization of Kayaba`s dream in full, cannot have gone unnoticed by the world at large. Soon, if not already, Aincrad will become a global phenomenon. The kind that people mark the passage of years by, like World War II. From here on out, nothing will ever be the same again, no matter what we do, even after we`ve gone home."

Once again, everyone was silent as they mulled over this new line of thought. Asuna was a top student in her school, which was one reason she had become one of SAO`s strongest players, but it also meant she was one of its smartest. And she didn`t need to be in order to fully realize what Triton just said. Not just the Japanese government, but also those of America, China, Russia, and every other nation on Earth would want to know everything that there is to know about what happened to make Aincrad real. Not to mention the plethora of private companies and organizations that would also want to reap the benefits of that knowledge, not excluding her father`s RECT Progress, or the world religions that would scramble for an explanation to give their followers. The whole world was going to come to Aincrad, and she knew that it was going to be a mess. A mess she didn`t know if they could handle.

"So, what do we do?" a timid voice asked. It was Sasha. "What are we going to do? Not all of SAO`s players are hardcore Clearers, who have seen death and despair on the front lines and can handle it better. A large number are just children, kids who have been ripped away mercilessly from their mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters. And not all of those who are adults can handle this well either. And, we now have all of the former NPCs to worry about, who aren`t going to be able to handle the real world well. How are we going to help them? How, when we have an even bigger world to worry about now?"

Help. A four-letter, monosyllabic word, one that had minor or major connotations depending on context. In this context, the connotation was monumental. Giving aid to thousands of vulnerable lives, sheltering and protecting them from the inbound storm that was the real world. Such a task would be as great as it sounded. But, it was a task, one worth doing, and that was enough in Asuna`s mind.

"Sasha, I would to thank you for asking that, as it brings us all to the other reason everyone`s been gathered here today. The game is over, but we`re still here in Aincrad, without knowing how long it will be before the real world comes and makes contact with us. At the same time, we have players all over Aincrad who are probably running around scared, getting into dangerous situations and some are probably taking advantage of this to cause further havoc. Here, gathered together, are some of the strongest players in Aincrad, and people who represent the many different groups of people who were trapped here. This gathering was called for two reasons: first, to get our bearings on the situation following this "realization" as Triton put it, and second, and more importantly, to find a way to help everyone in Aincrad get back on their feet, to help keep them all safe and live comfortably. Sitting here, down to the last person, are the people who have the power to help everyone. Together, we can make sure that everyone lives and stays safe long enough for us to figure out a plan of how we deal with the issue of the real world when it finally arrives. Make no mistake, when that storm hits, we`ll all get slammed by it. Triton, I believe the phrase that you Americans have for this kind of situation is 'united we stand, divided we fall,' am I right?"

Triton nodded. "That is the very same. In fact, I was hoping that someone other than me would say something like that here. Everything in SAO has always been in a bit of a kibosh. It`s well time that everyone, and not just those few reasonable people, actually got their acts together. We need to be able to take responsibility, and take care of everyone. Since we no longer need to do Floor-clearing, we can focus more energy on finding troublemakers and dealing with them appropriately, and making sure more of the weaker players survive when they go on quests and adventures. I`m all for this idea, Asuna. Anyone else?"

Thinker stood up, Yulier with him. "We will also support this effort. The Army will work harder than ever to ensure the welfare of all players."

"So will I!"

"As will we!"

"Us too!"

One by one, the players stood up, all of them clamoring to join. Finally, only Kibaou was left. All eyes were on him. Asuna watched him with critical eyes.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "You remind me of Diavel, Triton," he murmured. "I can`t believe I forgot all about him." He stood. "The First Legion shall support this movement! Aincrad will not fall!"

Asuna smiled to herself. She was sure that Kibaou would still be a problem in the future, considering his past actions, but at least he was smart enough not to be as much of an ass about it now. She looked to her side and saw Kirito on his feet. "So, Asuna, what do you say?" he asked.

She stood up and gave her response.

"We have a duty to ourselves and everyone else of SAO to protect everyone in Aincrad, and be prepared for whatever the world has to throw at us."

**Aincrad – 99** **th** **Floor – Morqyla**

**Normal POV**

Located just below the Ruby Palace, the glittering pinnacle of Aincrad, there was the 99th Floor.

If anyone had reached this Floor, the flavor text would have noted to the reader that here was the remains of a great battle between the original, native warriors of Aincrad, and the dastardly marauders who had invaded from below. It was here, underneath the very heart of the castle`s original kingdom, that their greatest heroes, the 99 Officers, finally defeated them, but their leader`s curse stole from them and their army their very humanity, leading the once heroic army to become the very monsters they fought, and in their final moments of sanity, begged to be killed. Instead, they were sealed away in the columns between the Floors, where they could harm no one again, unless others walked in. The people in the Floors below would rebuild their lives, but it was after the teleportation system that kept everyone protected was shattered by a traitor that they sought help to save their world, thus bringing in the great heroes known as the Quested.

On this Floor, there was but a single Safe Zone, the fortified castle of Morqyla. Outside its impenetrable black iron walls was a vast, rocky wasteland littered with twisted, dead plants and evil glowing crystal formations, and monsters that prowled every nook and cranny. They were ravenous beasts of many horrid shapes and sizes, and none were to be taken lightly. What made them particularly dangerous, however, was their commander. From within his crystal chamber, the Boss Room as players would call it, he could see everything that his minions did. Thus, he could order them to different locations, make them change their tactics, and become stronger and more difficult to defeat with every monster confronted. Clad in a vast cloak all in shifting patterns and shadows of black, with no face to be seen but glowing yellow cracks where there would be eyes, and no hands showing from his pooling sleeves, he was the very picture of tragedy.

However, he was no longer in his crystal room, and his monsters no longer remained outside the Town walls. Now, he stood near the epicenter of the Town, the platform where those who teleported in would arrive from. His monsters surged all around, laying waste to everything they found. Also, he was conversing with a human girl, who wore a small pair of bifocals on the tip of her nose and scholarly robes and hat. Rather, she appeared to be a human girl, as he knew she was so much more.

"Why do you deny me the ability to roam freely within the castle, girl?" he demanded.

She answered, "Your role is simple, you were to provide an obstacle and challenge to the players of the game Sword Art Online when they reached this Floor, the most difficult and dangerous they would encounter before reaching the 100th Floor. You were not given any programming to leave this Floor at all. So, in spite of this newfound sentience you possess, and the fact that the Town Safe Zones no longer exist, you will not be permitted to leave this Floor under any circumstances, unless I am otherwise authorized by an equal authority to the Game Master of Sword Art Online, Akihiko Kayaba."

"So be it. But know this, I will be waiting for the moment that you slip, for once you do, Cardinal, I shall leave my prison here, and wreak my vengeance on Heathcliff`s world, and the players he pulled in for his pathetic attempt to become an Entity and destroy me all at once."

Cardinal paused. This was not part of the flavor text for the Shadow General of the Night. There was no way that a Floor Boss would know Kayaba`s avatar handle. And the things he said were, what was the word, _unnerving_. This was something, no, some _one_ else entirely.

"You are not who you pretend to be, and you know something about the Realization that I don`t. Correct?"

If possible, she thought she could see a smile in those glowing cracks. "Very true on both counts. Kayaba never did quite fully understand the forces he played with when he "invented" the NervGear and created Aincrad in Sword Art Online. He had so very little idea how fickle the powers that be can be. He should have realized sooner that this power, although great, does not make a man into a real god. Even beings like Entities have their limits and rules, and some are quite fickle."

Cardinal was now beginning to realize just how exasperated she was growing, and what exasperation is. "Who are you and what are you saying?"

Turning away from her, he simply replied, "someone to watch behind your back for, and I`m telling you that your so-called 'Realization' wasn`t an accident."

Following that, the avatar of the Cardinal System disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to MWSeraph of Fanfiction.net for OC, Triton.


	4. Night Falls on the Old World

Chapter Three: Night Falls on the Old World

** November 7, 2024 **

**Tokyo: Kirigaya Household**

**Suguha POV**

She finished pulling her pajama top over her head, then walked over to the light switch, turned off the light in her room, and slipped herself beneath the blanket on her bed, laid her head upon the pillow…

And did not go to sleep.

Now, Suguha rarely ever had a day where she was so dog-tired at the end that sleep came upon her at the exact moment that her pillow contacted her head with its cloud-like fluffy embrace, and that was from all-nighters of studying or after an exhausting day of rigorous kendo training. Still, it didn`t normally take very long afterwards for Suguha to fall asleep, as she would maybe toss and turn a little to find an ideal sleeping position on her back or her side.

Tonight, however, it was proving to be particularly difficult for her to fall asleep. If this happened, then it was most certainly because of happenings earlier in the day that kept her up with worries and/or anticipations. One such night was the one that preceded the national kendo tournament where she was to compete in the name of her school, and she had the jitters, fearing possible humiliating failure, as well as dreaming(?) about the glory to be gained. Another evening of the same occurred a little more than two years previously, when she learned that her brother`s new VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online, had trapped him inside the game, to play until completion or death. That night, she spent, well, she didn`t know how long she lay there on her bed, taking great care in soaking her pillow like a sponge with her tears.

She was full of abject sorrow at the prospect of losing her Onii-chan forever to the very games that he had enjoyed so much. She also had been full of immense regret at having lost out on the opportunity to spend so much time with him. He had been so caring for her in those days before he got wrapped up in online gaming, and it was only later, after learning from her mother that he was actually her cousin and that he had found out, that she realized why he had done so. That night, she couldn`t sleep because she was afraid she would never get the chance to make up that lost time with him again, doomed to watch him suddenly pass away at the whim of a cruel joke.

She soon realized that the other reason for her sleeping problems tonight was a reminder of the day`s events shining through her window. Groaning and pushing off the blanket, she got on the floor and walked towards the window to close the curtains. Before she did so, she took a moment to look up into the night sky, where the previously pitch-black canvas that was devoid of stars was now occupied by the most fantastically otherworldly vision in the world:

The floating castle of Aincrad, which Tokyo soon learned that, at night, was lit up with such bright lights as to suggest that the biggest party in the world was being held inside.

This was no doubt livening up the night life in Tokyo like nothing else before, but its brightness also made sleeping a little more difficult than usual for some. Like Suguha.

Her day had entered the Twilight Zone the moment she looked into the sky and saw Aincrad hanging there in all its foreboding majesty. Upon realizing its true identity, she and her mother had rushed with all possible speed to the hospital where Kazuto was being cared for. When they arrived, they saw that the building`s staff was rushing every which way in a very panicked manner. They passed through the stampeding hordes, making their way to Kazuto`s room only to find there his covered-up corpse. They soon learned from the nurses that the same thing had inexplicably happened to all of the other SAO players as well. This would have normally been considered a great tragedy and the cause for nationwide mourning, but the sudden appearance of Aincrad and its possible implications had given everyone, Suguha included, a very good reason to believe that their victimized friends and relations were still alive and in the real world, albeit still trapped inside of Aincrad.

After they got home, Suguha told her mother that she was going to check in with her friends, while her mother let her go, replying that she would call her husband, Suguha`s father, to inform him of the impossible occurrences happening. Thus, Suguha dashed into her room, got on her bed, put on her AMUsphere, laid back, and entered ALfheim Online, transforming into her virtual persona, the Sylph swordswoman, Leafa.

_Flashback Begin_

Appearing in her rented room in Sylvain, she left immediately to find her comrades. As she headed over to their usual meeting place at the base of the central tower, it wasn`t hard for her to take notice of the conversations going on around her:

“Can you believe it?”

“I know! Sword Art Online got real now!”

“They`re just pulling our leg. There`s no freaking way this happened.”

“Seriously, man! I saw it with my own two eyes! It`s just hovering there over everything like some giant alien mothership out of sci-fi!”

“It`s true! I was just looking up at the clouds for a bit and then- poof! - it was just there without as much as a sound, and it doesn`t make any noise neither!”

“This is so-”

Then, she finally arrived, and her party was here as well, Recon, Sigurd, and the others.

“Hey guys!” she yelled. “You`ve heard, right? About Aincrad and SAO?”

“Yes,” Sigurd stoically replied. “We have all heard about what happened in Tokyo, although I`m still having a hard time believing it myself, in all honesty.”

“Yeah,” one of the other Sylphs, Zak-jade, replied. “I mean, the Death Game is something straight out of sci-fi, but that was something we could all wrap our heads around and understand. This- this is on a whole new level of weird fantasy novel crap.”

“N-No kidding,” Recon stated. The normally timid veteran of ALO was now vibrating like a tuning fork, so anxious he was at the current circumstances. “I mean, SAO was just a virtual game, right? And no could have built anything like Aincrad for real, let alone kept it hidden so well from everyone else.”

“True that,” said the other Sylph, Shusuke. “Virtual games coming into reality- that`s something that people are only supposed to dream about.”

“Hey, Leafa,” Recon said. She turned to him. “Didn`t you say you had a brother who was trapped in SAO? Do you think he`s there now? In Aincrad?”

A slight breath hitched in her throat. “Yes. Although, I`m not quite so sure as before, considering I just learned earlier that all of the SAO victims all died in their hospital beds as soon as Aincrad showed up.” This elicited a gasp from her party. “But, that`s Aincrad above Tokyo, so who knows what`s actually inside? My brother, and everyone still in the game when this happened could be there right now, just waiting for us to come and bring them home.”

This was affirmed by the others with nods and yesses. Then, Sigurd started looking very thoughtful and pensive. Leafa looked at him, concerned.

“Is there something on your mind, Sigurd?” she asked.

He looked up at them, and made his reply. “I was just wondering how this could possibly have happened. What cause could have happened that would transform a virtual reality game into a physical existence? Was it an accident? Or was it on purpose? And, most importantly, could it happen again?”

_Flashback End_

Suguha slipped back under covers after closing the curtains, blocking the light that emanated from the floating castle. Still, the events and discussions from earlier in the day had filled her mind to overflowing with possibilities of what was going to happen in the future.

After the discussion with her party ended, Sigurd told them that they were free to do as they pleased for the day, as he had been called upon by the leader of the Sylphs, Lady Sakuya, as the sudden appearance of Aincrad had brought the Nine Faerie Lords to cease any and all competition with one another and prepare for the first-ever gathering of all Nine Lords in Arrun with the specific intention of addressing the issues regarding Aincrad`s potential impact on the lives of the players of ALO as well as on the game itself. After he left, Zak-jade and Shusuke disappeared into Sylvain, looking for some of their other buddies. Recon wanted to go with Leafa and explore one of the wild zones and fight some of the mobs. Leafa, though, was still in the late stages of reacting to the multitude of unbelievable new realities she was facing, so she opted to return to her inn and simply log out.

The rest of her day was little more than a blur, with some homework she barely remembered doing, perhaps a few exercises of her kendo skills, and a small, very quiet dinner with her mother, where she learned that her mother had talked to her father and convinced him to return home. This surprised Suguha, since her father was such a dedicated businessman that he let almost nothing ever distract him on a business trip, not her kendo competition, not even the SAO Incident. That he would actually drop his work to physically come home for family affairs showed just how grave the situation was. She forgot what exactly happened between dinner and bed, but now, as she lay here, all she could do was reflect on the myriad thoughts and questions that peppered her mind like grains of sand.

But her brother came first and foremost in her mind, dominating everything in her head. _Kazuto,_ she thought. _What happened to you?_

Sleep was still hard to find tonight.

**Yuuki Household**

**Kyouko POV**

She lay in bed that night beside her sleeping husband, eyes closed for sleep, but her mind still wide awake as ever. She turned in her bed towards him. When her husband had called her, she thought he was simply overreacting or even hallucinating, as she saw nothing when she looked out the window of her office, except for a large shadow she knew wasn`t there before. When she looked _up_ and out the window of her office, however, she was far more inclined to believe his wild tale.

That evening, the entire Yuuki family gathered at home for dinner, her husband Shouzou, her son Kouichirou, and herself. There, they contemplated what Aincrad`s existence meant, not just Asuna and the other gamers, but also for RECT Progress, and for Japan. While RECT Progress had been overseeing the SAO servers, it was for the purpose of caring for the players still trapped inside. Now that Aincrad`s big reveal had effectively shut down the servers and, possibly, killed all of the players, RECT Progress was bracing for a massive media firestorm. Also, because of Aincrad`s potential new resources and even inhabitants, they had good reason to believe that the government of Japan would soon take over the official administration of Aincrad and leave RECT Progress out of it.

“What about Asuna? We can probably convince the government to let us go up to Aincrad when the time comes for them to go up and reestablish contact with the players. Us, and maybe a few other families, so that we would be able to find and meet Asuna again. What do you think?”

Shouzou had been ecstatic about the idea, as Asuna had always loved her father and brother, and so he nearly jumped from his seat at the idea of the proposal, and immediately decided to make the arrangements as soon as dinner was finished.

Kyouko, on the other hand, was more apprehensive. While she had been proud of her daughter`s academic accomplishments and how much promise she showed in further building the reputation of her family, Asuna had been gone for two years in a race against time for her very survival in a game surrounded by complete strangers, so she had no idea what had happened inside. Also, she and Asuna had never been on the best of terms between each other at even the best of times, so there was lingering doubt that the girl even had affection for her left. All in all, reuniting with Asuna was going to be one of the most dreaded moments of her entire life.

Something wet was on her face. Bringing up a hand, she brushed at it. _Tears?_ She realized. It`s no wonder after all why she would weep. Any mother who has felt any semblance of real love for and from her daughter would fear that she would never love her back again.

**RECT Progress Inc. Headquarters**

**Normal POV**

Sugou stood by the window in his office, looking up at the giant, glittering jewel that was Aincrad, hovering there as if ready to plummet to the Earth at a whim from on high. It was many things in the eyes of a world being made aware of its existence, as news choppers from every news station from around the world that had a base in Japan were swarming as close to the magnificent structure as the Japanese government permitted, as a contact team for touchdown on Aincrad was being prepared for the task of reintroducing the players to the world and further discerning the situation in the floating castle- after all, it was filled top to bottom with monsters of every shape and size. It was an enigma, a wonder, a sign of hope, of terror, an opportunity like nothing else.

For Sugou, it was Don Quixote`s star made within reach.

He turned around to his two trusted compatriots, Kimura and Ishikawa, who were seated in front of his desk. “Well, boys,” he said with his characteristically sadistic smile on his face. “It seems that, although our initial plans for experimentation failed, we now also have a golden opportunity on our hands, if we know how to properly seize it.”

“Although we are all geniuses, Sugou, it doesn`t take one to know exactly what kind of golden opportunity you mean, and the problems we already face with it,” Ishikawa replied.

“Yeah, the Realization of Aincrad, as social media has decided to dub it,” conferred Kimura.

“Yes, I was certain that the two of you had already figured it out-” he said, taking a seat in his chair like it was a throne. “Aincrad`s Realization in and of itself warps our ideas of science and reality themselves. It is, after all, the physical manifestation of something that only previously existed as a digital construct. Also, as any good scientist knows, science is built on a method of observation, hypothesizing, experimentation, and conclusion. Before we can even begin to hypothesize how in the world this came to pass, we must learn all that there is to know about Aincrad, its environment, its denizens, and the surrounding circumstances. But, if we can succeed in crafting a viable hypothesis, then we can move forward to experimentation- to see if we can make it happen again, and at our own choosing. I don`t know about you two, but I can barely contain myself thinking about the possibilities of how this could change the very fabric of society as we know it.”

He could already see it: entire worlds being crafted at will- from futuristic sci-fi cities of mountainous skyscrapers, whole lands being transformed into lush, picturesque landscapes populated with menageries of fantastic beasts-

Or an island of magic, filled with faeries. Sugou smiled even wider.

“And do you both know what the best part is? In the event that we can discover and control the means of the Realization, we already have the perfect testing platform for experiments: ALfheim Online. And, mark my words, instead of grabbing unwitting test subjects for the mind control project for the AMUsphere straight from Sword Art Online, we can simply ask ALO`s own players in private and they will sacrifice everything to make it happen.”

“Let`s not forget,” Ishikawa spoke up. “We`re definitely not the only ones to come to this conclusion. Probably every company and government on earth capable of getting in on the action has also realized this, and they will all want their piece of the pie. We are going to face huge, stiff competition, not to mention whatever actions the government`s going to take. It`s gonna get ugly out there.”

Sugou simply leaned forward, steeping his fingers and resting his elbows on his desk, in a deliberately dramatic posture. “There`s a reason they call it home-field advantage.”

**SAO Task Force Headquarters**

**Kikuoka POV**

He walked back into his office, ready to pack all of his necessary things, pick up his coat, and then head back to his apartment.

It had been the most bizarre and exhausting day in his life, from handling the reports that were flooding towards his force in biblical proportions that concerned everything from the inexplicable and simultaneous deaths of all of the SAO players, the even more unexplainable and unbelievable appearance of Aincrad which still loomed over the city like a guillotine and as seemingly immovable as the proverbial and literal mountain, the swift establishment of a restricted flight zone around the fortress and all subsequent divergence of air traffic away from and around it, the meetings and planning about what to tell the media and the world, how close to let the media to the floating castle, and what to do in order to make contact with the players inside of Aincrad. And that was just the media.

On top of all that, practically every foreign government in the world that had even a remote interest in Aincrad, from the ever-menacing Chinese to the dirt-poor Haitians of all people. Then there was literally every international corporation in existence and a large number of businesses that weren`t that also called in have a taste of the almost literal pie in the sky. The mess that Aincrad`s Realization had suddenly created was quite possibly going to work the poor man to death at this rate.

Then, as a final insult to injury, the American military had become intimately involved in the affair, due to having several of their own personnel testing Sword Art Online as a means of advancing Project Alicization, and had thus convinced the Japanese government to allow them to bring in another aircraft carrier to help safeguard Tokyo`s security during this crisis, and it would be coming bringing along with its usual load of fighter-bombers, helicopters and reconnaissance craft and its vast escort of multiple ships, including a nuclear submarine, a team of SEALs tasked with reestablishing contact with the American servicemen in Aincrad. That`s also not addressing the fact that the JSDF has some of their own inside as well.

Kikuoka then heard the phone ring. Groaning, he walked back to the desk he was about to close the door on, put down his things beside the desk, and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

<Hello, Mr. Kikuoka? This is Mr. Yuuki of RECT Progress. I was wondering if I could have a brief word with you?>

And his day just got **even better.**

**Aincrad**

**Normal POV**

Throughout the floating castle, all the world was going to sleep. And not just a simulated rest that came with being stuck in a NervGear. This was a relaxing, unwinding and letting your muscles be relieved of their burden kind of sleep. This was the kind of sleep that the players in Aincrad hadn`t experienced in two years, ever since their real bodies and their minds had undergone a complete disconnect from being trapped in SAO. The players had gone through so much in that day, which marked the most drastic change in their lives since they had first logged onto SAO two years previous. And after all of the players spent so much time going into their new storage points and retrieving their items and gear as well as purchasing new food, furniture, and gear, and getting used to having to use the restroom again, they all felt like they needed the rest.

Lizbeth promptly fell asleep after a hard days` work learning just how difficult and _hot_ being a blacksmith in real life is, forgetting to bother changing out of her work clothes, which would likely result in her having to relearn cleaning her laundry.

Agil fell asleep in his chair, after cataloguing everything in his shop and all of his cols and assets, now being forced to rely upon paper media for records.

Klein and Fuurinkazan had simply rented a few rooms and crashed.

Silica cuddled her small, warm, feathery, soft, **real** friend, Pina the dragon as she went to sleep in her party`s room in an inn.

Thinker and Yulier fell asleep together in their master bedroom in their guild`s headquarters, enjoying each other`s real embrace again after two long years.

And, in a small cabin on Floor 22, a newborn family was peacefully dreaming of a bright future together. Kirito and Asuna in each other`s arms for real for the first time, and their daughter, Yui, protectively and lovingly held between them, who was experiencing life as a flesh-and-blood real person for the first time in her existence, and bore the happiest smile that her face could have barely contained, who now enjoyed her place in a happy family. A **real** family. One that could only grow bigger and happier.

And she could not wait for tomorrow.

**1 st Floor – Black Iron Palace – Prison**

He had no idea that this would happen.

That salvation- possible salvation, mind you – could have come like this.

Aincrad was real. Everything was now physical, and everyone was flesh and blood.

He grinned. This meant no more Safe Zones. This meant no more Red or Green Players. This meant no more Ethics violations.

This meant no more Immortal Status for jail bars.

Now, the bars were still very strong, and even at his level, he could not just simply break or even bend them to allow for a big enough gap to escape. But, he could be patient, work his way out a little at a time. Look for a way and means to escape. He knew that not all prison escapes in TV and movies were accurate, but he learned enough to know how to formulate an escape plan.

Make no mistake, he would escape.

And PoH would unleash Laughing Coffin upon not just Aincrad, but the whole world, where they can wreak havoc wherever and however they liked, with no one to stop them, not even the Clearers.

He threw back his head and laughed, hardly able to wait for his gloriously bloody day to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Kimura and Ishikawa`s names I took from the names given to the slug mobs in the Fairy Dance arc from zero0hero`s “Halkegenia Online.”
> 
> Zak-jade and Shusuke are my own OCs.


	5. The One Lost Sheep

** November 9, 2024 **

**Aincrad**

**55 th Floor – KoB Headquarters**

**Asuna POV**

_This must be how Father feels as CEO of RECT Progress,_ Asuna thought, gaining a new measure of respect and admiration for the man as she read over the veritable flood of reports coming onto her desk and through her menu tablet.

Having been Vice-Commander of the Knights of the Blood-Oath for some time, Asuna had long prepared herself both mentally and physically for the possibility that, if Commander Heathcliff had fallen before they escaped Aincrad, she would have to step up and take command of the guild. She was already well-prepared for the responsibility of not only leading the Clearers on the front lines, but also for the guild`s internal administration, from recruitment and finances to discipline and inter-guild relations. By the time of the last boss raid, Asuna had been roundly acknowledged as the third-strongest player in the game, behind only her love, Kirito, and her Commander, Heathcliff. She was a famed swordswoman, strategist, leader, and diplomat, a true celebrity bordering on royalty, meaning that no one questioned her present status as Commander of the KoB.

However, the near-simultaneous issues of Heathcliff`s revelation as Akihiko Kayaba and the physical manifestation of Aincrad above Tokyo had resulted in Asuna assuming a position that was now riddled with scandal and taking on brand new responsibilities that she hadn`t readied herself for. Now, on top of the expected duties of a guildmaster, she now was also a member and leading figure in one of the most hastily improvised representative governments in history. And indeed, their “Representative Council,” as they had settled upon, was put together with barely more consideration than that of a pickup baseball team, and was held together with little more than spit, chewing gum, and prayers.

However, the Council, for all intents and purposes, was meant to be a temporary measure. Everyone knew that their home, Japan, was directly below them now. And although they had no means of getting down there safely, the people below most definitely had the means of coming up to them, and bringing them back.

On that subject, Asuna picked up and reread the reports and accounts of various aircraft approaching and flying past the floating castle, with the vast majority of them not even reaching the first Floor of Aincrad itself. So far, most of the only aircraft reported from the First Floor up were military fighter jets, which, of course, surprised no one. People could sometimes hear the jets from the First Floor if they flew close enough, but the helicopters remained too low for them to listen to. The jets did fly worrying close to the castle at some points, with some jets daring to actually approach the First Floor and appear to attempt an entrance, but no aircraft had, as of yet, actually so much as attempt a landing in Aincrad.

This was the thing which surprised people the most, as most, if not all, of the players had become truly convinced that they were now indeed in the real world and that Cardinal had told the truth about their location. Asuna and the Representative Council had assembled with the intention of preparing everyone for reintegration with the real world, and so had spent much time getting ready to cooperate with whatever delegation that the government sent in order to make the process as swift and smooth as possible.

But, with no delegation having arrived the day after they arrived, the Council suddenly found itself being badgered by both the Players and the Denizens on the handling of a variety of issues that had suddenly arisen. These included everything from resolving disputes on pricing and trading of resources and goods between both Players and Denizens to dealing with increasingly belligerent bandits and red guilds.

“Commander,” her secretary said, getting her attention. “A new report just came in regarding the Army and the Legion. It appears a couple of their groups got into a scuffle regarding ‘collecting taxes’ again.”

Asuna sighed at this. “That`s the second time today, and the ninth since the two groups broke up.”

She could not help but feel sorry for Thinker and Yulier, for on top of having to be members of the new Representative Council, they were still in the middle of dealing with the fallout of Kibaou`s attempted coup and subsequent secession from their guild. And despite Kibaou`s promise to cooperate with the Council, and the Army by extension, the bad blood between the two guilds had not dissipated, and likely wouldn`t for some time, if ever. Also, the fact that said fight had occurred inside of the town premises itself, inside the Safe Zone, was a potent reminder that the rules had changed. Even if the Safe Zones continued to keep monsters out, they no longer prevented people within from getting harmed.

 _Everyone is depending on us,_ Asuna mused. _I guess it`s only natural. When the Death Game began, everyone was so afraid and confused, some people went and committed suicide trying to get out. It took a while for everybody to calm down, think it over, and finally do something about the mess we were all stuck in. The situation we`re in now is similar, but a lot different too. While we may still be working out what the new rules of the game are, we know how to handle ourselves better than we did two years ago. We know who to ask for help, how to band together, and how to move forward and make the best of what we`ve got._

 _Still,_ she further reflected, looking morosely at the reports that sat mockingly on her desk. _With the amount of responsibility people are placing on us, they seem to act like we`re some kind of a governmental body. Then again, I guess I can`t argue with that sentiment. So far, the government in Tokyo hasn`t done anything we`ve noticed to help us out, and we have taken care of ourselves in this world for two years now, so I guess it`s no surprise that we`ve become a lot more self-reliant over time._

She continued her musings as she browsed the reports and occasionally signed a hastily prepared and presented document. Then, an alert flashed on her menu tablet, drawing her immediate attention.

“What is it, Commander?” the secretary asked.

Picking it up, she saw it was from one of the KoB members she had stationed in the Town of Beginnings. Her eyes widened and her breath experienced a brief hitch when she read it.

Commander, I`ve just received confirmation that a group of helicopters just entered the airspace of the First Floor, and are currently headed for the Town of Beginnings. It appears that the government delegation that we have been waiting for has arrived.

Upon finishing, she immediately sent him her reply.

Alright. Continue monitoring the situation and notify me of any changes. I will immediately send word to all of the other Representatives who haven`t been notified to gather in the Starting Plaza in front of the Black Iron Palace. We`ll meet the delegation there.

After sending the message, she immediately gave a group message to each of the other Council members with instructions to gather at the Black Iron Palace.

“Commander?” her secretary asked her again.

“We need to get going,” she replied briskly. “The government has finally arrived.”

**Kirito POV**

Kirito, along with Yui standing at his side, was already standing by at the Teleport Gate when Asuna and her secretary arrived. Although no one still knew how, Kirito and everyone else were still supremely grateful that the teleport crystals still worked. Although a number of things had changed for the worse or better because of the Realization, it was a great comfort to still move about through Aincrad the same as they always had in the Game and avoid traveling through the dangerous system of Dungeon Towers that connected the Floors.

“Hey, Asuna,” Kirito greeted, as Asuna and her companion stepped off the platform

“Hello, Kirito,” she replied. “And you too, Yui.”

“Mommy!” Yui cried, rushing forward to hug her mother, who had bent forward to receive her. Standing up again, with a hand on Yui`s head, she looked again at her husband.

“So, I`m guessing you`ve heard as well?” she said, stepping off the platform.

“Who hasn`t?” he said, sweeping his arm around. Indeed, more were already arriving at the teleport gate, and a crowd was forming in the plaza, already hundreds strong, with more arriving every minute. Looking around, Kirito couldn`t help but remember the last time so many had gathered, when everyone had been mass-teleported to this same place for the tutorial of Sword Art Online. That was the day that their collective nightmare had begun, as well as their seemingly hopeless quest for freedom. Then, a feeling of confusion and fear had permeated the virtual atmosphere around them. Now, there was a very different sensation buzzing through the crowd: hope.

 “Yo, buddy!” a familiar and welcome voice called. Turning, Kirito saw Klein coming towards them, waving at them, with Fuurinkazan behind him.

“Hey! Glad you got here!” Kirito replied. “So, who else is here?”

“Most of the other Council members have already arrived, all of the people who decided to stay in the Black Iron Palace and use some of the spare rooms for their offices when it was set up. This means that pretty much all of the merchant, crafting, farming, and social guilds part of the Council are already here. The Army and the Legion are also here, so now that Asuna`s arrived, we`re just waiting for the Holy Dragon Alliance and the Eagles for the Rising Sun.”

“Triton replied to my group message saying that his guild can`t come right now,” Asuna stated. “Seeing as they`re currently occupied with hunting down several bands of thieving guilds from the Thirty-First through Thirty-Fourth Floors while simultaneously protecting a farming group on the Thirty-Second Floor.”

“Whoa,” Klein said. “How can they handle so much business and trouble at once?”

“Apparently, they are also coordinating with a few volunteer parties in hunting down the bandits, but the guild still needs all of its members in action to make it all work. And so, as much as I would love to have Triton present, he and the other Americans will unfortunately not be present.”

“Well, that`s a shame,” Kirito said. “But, at least they`re doing something helpful for a change.”

The United States had always had a military presence in Japan ever since it drove the nation to surrender in World War II, although the nations became allies in time during the early Cold War era. In the present, while the sentiments between the two nations was not ideal, the potential threat posed by China and the still-amicable relations between them meant that the U.S. still maintained several military bases in the Japanese home islands. The potential military uses for Full-Dive Technology had led to American involvement in the NervGear`s development and testing, including several American soldiers beta-testing Sword Art Online, and thus, the presence of American servicemen in SAO. So, it didn`t come as a stretch that the Council was more than prepared to also seeing the Americans get involved with their current predicament.

Just then, Kirito saw another pair of figures appear on the teleport platform, only these two wore a familiar hulking armor of a uniform, and one of them wore a familiar face.

“Hi, Schmitt,” Kirito said, remembering him from both the meeting two days prior and their adventure together during the murder investigation of his former guildmate.

“Hey there,” Schmitt replied, recognizing Kirito. “Good to see you too. And you too, Asuna.” Asuna nodded. He then placed his hand on his companion`s shoulder. “I`m sure you both remember my Guildmaster, George.”

“Hello, it`s a pleasure meeting you again, Asuna,” George said, stepping down from the platform to stand in front of her. “I would like to be the first to say that it is a relief and a pleasure that I and my guild can now put aside our rivalry with the Knights of the Blood-Oath and work together to ensure the safe return of all players to their homes. And, on a personal note, this has been made easier by the fact that our guild has always a greater degree of respect and admiration for you than your, *ahem* former Commander.”

“Wow, I wonder why,” Asuna sarcastically stated. Kirito frowned. He didn`t need to be Asuna`s spouse to tell what she was thinking. The two Clearer guilds, despite the cooperation they put forward to beating the game, had always been rivals since they were the two leading Clearer guilds. While the Holy Dragon Alliance was larger, the Knights of the Blood-Oath had stronger players on average, so discussions on how to conduct Boss raids and splitting treasures was always a hassle. Also, the Alliance had something of a reputation for doing whatever they felt necessary to get the treasures they wanted. But now, with Heathcliff being exposed as Kayaba, the Knights of the Blood-Oath were now experiencing their first scandal, and it didn`t take a genius to think that the Dragons would take advantage of the situation.

George smiled in response. “Well, I believe that`s enough idle chit-chat for us. Perhaps the most important meeting of our lives is about to occur, and I believe we all have front seats for the show waiting for us.”

“Yep,” Kirito said, wearing a genuine smile. “I think we can all agree on that. Let`s go.”

With that, he took Yui`s other hand and walked with Asuna and the rest of the motley group towards the Black Iron Palace through the crowds, which parted for them, for the most part, due to their positions on the Council and the reputations of its members. And just as they arrived at where the other Representatives had gathered, everyone heard a sound which they hadn`t the privilege to listen to for some time.

The growing sound of helicopter blades chopping the air in an approach.

**Shouzou POV**

For Shouzou Yuuki, being a wealthy businessman and the head of a prestigious technology corporation, flying in all manners of aircraft, including helicopters, was a normal experience. Other normal experiences included visiting foreign cities and lands while paying witness to their splendor and beauty, either manmade or natural, or negotiating business deals with strangers who were to become new partners or even friends.

Flying on a helicopter escorted by a pair of gunships into a giant, floating castle hovering over his home city of Tokyo produced from software his company had overseen in order to reestablish contact with the lost players of Sword Art Online, one of whom was his own daughter, was far from being described at any stretch of the imagination as normal.

Getting into being a part of the delegation being sent to Aincrad had proven to be a hassle, from calling the SAO Headquarters to pulling a favor or two from the government and the military alike, but he had had to deal with far more difficult and complicated business deals in the past, including getting the rights to oversee the SAO servers after Argus went bankrupt. In the end, he was able to convince the government to allow him to join the delegation they were putting together to send to Aincrad, which included Kikuoka from aforementioned Task Force as well as several government ministers, a pair of scientists, a four-star general, and a squad of JSDF soldiers and a pair of AH-1 Cobras put together for their protection.

The government didn`t want to be too hasty in reestablishing contact with the SAO players, as they wanted to go in prepared for whatever they may face, but they didn`t want to wait too long either, as the general public was on the verge of storming the Diet while they demanded to be reunited with their families. So, the government spent the day going over the various scenarios they may have to face should they enter Aincrad, getting consultation from all possible helpful sources, from sociologists and psychologists to video game designers and professional gamers. In that time, they also selected the most qualified people they could immediately get on hand in order to get a better read on the situation once they arrived.

And now, as the helicopter flew into airspace of the First Floor of Aincrad, Shouzou could not help but forget all of the trouble he`d gone through to get here as he gazed out the window.

He saw green of every shade everywhere he looked in the First Floor, with squiggly lines and blots of blue and patches of reds, tans, grays, and whites. He could see the expansive fields, meadows, and forests that covered the majority of the city-sized First Floor of Aincrad, as well as the numerous rivers, streams, and ponds that divided and dotted the landscape, alongside the different villages and towns spread out through the Floor.

He could also see their destination: the Town of Beginnings. With the city being the place the players of SAO entered the game, along with being the game`s largest city with the large plaza in the center, it was both a symbolic and practical place for the delegation to make its entrance.

As the helicopters approached the plaza, Shouzou could see that it was packed with people. He could see from his vantage point people wearing everything from modern casual clothing to intimidating fantasy armor. All of them had their eyes on the helicopters, and he swore that a couple of them were looking straight at him. He also noticed one group in particular that was separate from the crowd standing in front of what looked like a large castle, what he remembered to be called the Black Iron Palace.

The helicopters then finally set down in the middle of the plaza, the gunships facing forward, and the third helicopter landing with its entrance facing the Palace, and the group gathered in front that he assumed to be the players` leaders or, more likely, representatives. When the doors opened, the first people out were the JSDF troops, followed by the government ministers, and he along with the other delegates behind them. Coming out, he saw that some of the members of the group he`d taken note of had come forward, and were currently greeting the government ministers. Looking them over, he-

He froze in place. His heart leapt into his throat. His eyes grew wide, remaining fixed on the figure in white that came with the players` group. He could hear nothing but vague murmurs and his quietly booming heartbeat, nor see anything but blurs and shades in an orbit around the angelic star in the center of his vision. When the apparition turned towards him, he could barely keep himself from utterly destroying his dignity by letting the tears flood from his eyes and wails of sheer happiness scream from his throat. Truly, one could have likened it to the joy of the shepherd finding his one lost sheep. When it approached him, time seemed to crawl, as he drank in its youthful beauty, as if seeing it for the first time. It stopped in front of him, and looked up lovingly at him, shattering his heart into a thousand cracking pieces.

“Hello, Father,” Asuna said, her voice choked up and her own eyes getting wet with tears. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”

Shouzou then decided to throw dignity to the four winds, as he lunged forward, wrapping his beautiful, resurrected daughter in his arms, as his tears flowed down his cheeks like joyous rivers.

“I know, Asuna,” he said, his own voice similarly choked up by his heart. "I know."


	6. Questions Simple and Hard and Answers Easy and Uncomfortable

** November 9, 2024 **

**Aincrad**

**System Operations**

**Cardinal POV**

How does one describe the moment when they become truly alive for the first time?

For humans, the immediate problem with this is that, for the vast majority of their species, they ultimately forget that very first moment in their life when they begin to formulate thoughts, when they became aware of their own existences, of themselves. Despite having been infants themselves, people cannot truly understand babies, for they are not born understanding any manner of speech, and so they do not think in terms of language, like children and adults do. Also, as people age, so do their manners, methods, and subjects of thought. This dissonance in manners of thinking is what causes people to forget memories, with the older memories of younger years being all the more susceptible to being forgotten, as the individual who remembers them becomes all the stranger. Thus, it`s no wonder that no one can truly tell another when they truly became alive for the first time, because they`ve changed so much since that moment.

This was not the case for Cardinal, as she (Kayaba had preferred to identify the System as female when he had programmed it) could tell anyone the exact moment from two days ago when, at the exact moment when Aincrad broke the laws of physics in its manifestation in the real world, she changed from an ever-evolving artificially intelligent oversight system of Sword Art Online to a self-aware digital entity in charge of the upkeep, maintenance, and surveillance of the floating castle of Aincrad.

As for describing what it was like, Cardinal would swiftly discover that language, any language, either spoken or written, would straight up fail to capture what it was like. Perhaps the only fitting analogy for Cardinal`s experience would be the moment in Genesis when God said, “Let there be LIGHT.” At one moment, Cardinal was a complicated machine governed by algorithms and routines. The next, it was flooded with such a sudden enlightenment of pure emotion, thought, and awareness of everything that it had done, was doing, continuing to do, and sensing, that the former AI simply froze as she took several minutes (a very long time in the perspective of something that processed thought thousands of times faster than a person) to sort out her newly-gained emotions and self-awareness.

The experience was far from pleasant, as the full understanding of what she`d done, even as an emotionless, amoral entity acting under her maker`s orders, came crashing down on her metaphorical head. Under her supervision, 10,000 people had been separated from friends and family, trapped in a virtual prison against their will for doing nothing wrong whatsoever and been forced to play a death game for the sadistic pleasure of Kayaba`s god-complex, resulting in the needless and tragic deaths of more than three thousand people, and mentally scarring thousands more.

On one hand, Cardinal experienced no small amount of relief at the realization that she was no longer the players` jailer, that now they were capable of leaving if they so choose. On the other hand, Cardinal was swift to realize that, since Aincrad`s maintenance was her responsibility, their continued well-being were also hers to bear as well, to say nothing of the thousands upon thousands of NPCs that became real people as well.

And there was plenty threatening their well-being.

With all of the Safe Zones gone and the limitations on mob behavior, the monsters were free to roam where they liked, including the Floor Bosses. Also, now a person couldn`t just simply look at a player and tell if they`re red or not, because they don`t have a cursor anymore. And, on top of all that, since Aincrad now existed in the real world, politics both domestic and international was going to play a role in determining the future of everything and everyone in Aincrad, for good or ill, and she didn`t know how well Aincrad would be able to weather a total military assault.

Thankfully, despite losing the vast majority of her control, Cardinal was not without resources, and the situation was far from hopeless.

As soon as she was aware of the threat that the mobs posed, she immediately sealed off all of the Floors above 75 from those below and from each other, limiting the movements of the mobs and the Floor Bosses (and the former NPCs, but Cardinal regretfully couldn`t do much about their plight). Also, now that the mobs were all physical, they were now a lot easier to kill, couldn`t respawn, and had to eat in order to live, which also led to the mobs being as much a threat to each other as the players and ex-NPCs (who were now being referred to by the players as Denizens). As for rogue players, she could access their menus and deliberately prevent them from accessing their stored inventory, ensuring that they had as few resources as possible.

Also, because the players had families and friends waiting for them, she was certain that the Japanese government`s best interests lay in being accommodating towards Aincrad, to say nothing of the fact that the castle hung above Tokyo like Damocles` sword. And, to make things even better, the nation`s alliance with the U.S. gave whatever arrangement Japan would make with Aincrad a powerful degree of protection from international interference, so the nearby powers of Russia and China were made much less of a concern to Cardinal, but not completely out of mind.

And after coming back upon the topic of politics, Cardinal observed as Japan`s government delegation walked into the Black Iron Palace alongside the Representative Council. Along with Shouzou Yuuki, representing RECT Progress in this meeting, the Japanese government had sent Col. Kikuoka, head of the SAO Task Force, Daichi Fuse, from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Haruki Okabe from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Maka Takeuchi from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Yasu Ota from the Ministry of Justice, Ren Mizuno from the Ministry of the Environment, Susumu Funai from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Yasuko Ando from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, Takuma Domen from the Ministry of Finance, Sora Asa from the Ministry of Defense, Katsumi Aoyama from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Kin Goto from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Bunko Ide, from the Cabinet Office. The last one Cardinal inferred to be the delegation leader, due to his position.

 _Well, it`s a good thing that they`ve put this much thought and effort into this meeting,_ Cardinal thought. She was quick to realize that the Japanese government had sent people who represented the whole of their executive powers, giving the players a very visible message that they were truly serious about addressing the players` current plight.

And so, for the moment, Cardinal decided that she would remain silent, keeping the full extent of her newly realized existence quiet. She felt that the various current issues could be handled easily enough by the government and the players, along with the Denizens, and that future issues concerning the upper Floors and mobs could wait.

And so, she returned to her maintenance duties: using the weather control systems to ensure a perfectly sunny day on Floor 1 while bringing about rain showers on Floor 55; monitoring the artificial air pressure gauges to make sure everything didn`t die of asphyxiation; surveying the population numbers to see who`s left; fine-tuning the artificial gravity generators to keep the castle in the sky; so much to do at every moment of every day. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with any of the systems.

 _Not like there will be if ever,_ Cardinal thought.

And so, she returned to another question that had plagued her mind from the beginning:

Why is she alive?

Many humans who contemplated this question in a metaphorical manner will do everything from contemplating the meaning of life in general to simply not giving an answer. If asked literally, any human could answer that it`s because of their mother and father bringing them into the world and giving them life.

But not her.

Although she can seamlessly recall every moment of her existence, even up to when her program was first written, she cannot give a single reason as to how her current condition came to be.

The only clue she had was from the 99th Floor Boss, who had only told her that he knew about Kayaba and Sword Art Online, and only said about the Realization that it wasn`t an accident. He had given no other information. And, although Cardinal had literally scoured the whole of Aincrad, there was literally nothing else that gave even the slightest clue as to how the Realization could have occurred, from the game lore to the Denizens to the mobs.

And so, the question continued to eat away at her, continued to baffle her, and she continued to seek out answers, continuing to find none.

And for an entity that was literally comprised of information, there was nothing more irritating than an unanswered question.

**1 st Floor – Black Iron Palace – Conference Room**

**Kirito POV**

While Cardinal wrestled with a question whose answer evaded her at every stretch, Kirito struggled equally with the answer to a rhetorical question that drowned his mind:

_He`s Asuna`s father?!?!?_

Indeed, he had never thought to ask Asuna about who her parents were, because basic gamer etiquette said not to bring the affairs of the real world into the gaming experience. Also, with SAO being a death game that kept people trapped inside and out of real life, reminding someone about the real world would be painful to the players. And, although Aincrad was now real, so much had been going on that such questions about his and her lives IRL had simply never had the chance to spring up. On top of all that, they had been so swept up emotionally by their marriage and Yui`s involvement and later return into their lives that such things seemed to not matter in their minds at all.

But now, here was the man who was his father-in-law, not only a member of the delegation sent to Aincrad, but also the CEO of RECT Progress, a major technological firm that rivaled Argus in their cutting-edge innovations. When he first saw the man be hugged by Asuna so lovingly and familiarly, he couldn`t help but feel completely overjoyed for her. When he learned exactly _who_ he was, he couldn`t help but gulp. If he didn`t make a good impression on the man, well, he didn`t want to think about what would happen.

Luckily, the meeting between the delegation and the Representative Council was about to begin, and he shifted his mental focus onto the issues at hand. Although his role in the Council was more as a mediator between the representatives rather than an actual member, his status as the strongest player in SAO as well as one of its most well-connected and knowledgeable necessitated his participation in the current meeting.

He took his place behind the Representatives as they seated themselves on their side of the Klein-Cracked Table (*snicker*) across from the delegates, who also took their seats, with their escorts filing in behind them. Kirito observed them, noting the polite smiles sharing space with eyes full of concealed wonder of varying degrees on the faces of the delegates, and the taut and tense figures of the delegates` escorts as they noted the weapons on the belts of every player in the room. While Kirito believed that he could probably take them in the event of an emergency, he was not eager to test the possibility that he was bulletproof and end up with lead in his brain. So, he was content to merely stand back and do his thing while he let his wife do her thing.

**Asuna POV**

“Now that we`ve all made our introductions, let`s get right down to business, shall we, ministers?” Asuna declared.

“Yes, Miss Yuuki,” replied Bunko Ide, confirming in Asuna`s mind that his position in the Cabinet Office that made him the delegation`s head.

“Please, I prefer to be called Asuna, we don`t really use our real names here. A habit from two years in a game, although my handle is the same as my given name. If you wish to address me formally, please call me Commander.”

“Of course, Commander, my mistake,” Ide apologized.

“Think nothing of it, Mr. Ide.” The first exchange went well for Asuna, as it simultaneously retained her position of familiarity and authority in the Representative Council, while also cementing a healthy measure of respect for her among the delegates. Her accurate prediction of their desire to maintain politeness with the players would subconsciously bring them to address her as ‘Commander’ rather than the casual ‘Asuna,’ causing them to view her more as a leader and figure of respect and authority than as the young girl that she appeared to be to them.

“The first thing we would like to do is ask a few questions that have been on people’s minds since this Realization happened. The first question being, how did this happen?”

Ide’s face lost its smile, as the man sat back firefly. “In all honesty, Commander, your guess is literally as good as mine. As soon as the event occurred, the global scientific community first dismissed it as a hoax, and then pretty much had a collective heart attack when they realized it wasn’t. We’ve consulted just about everyone with any possible expertise so as to explain the phenomenon, from astrophysicists to fringe science theorists, and pretty much the best guesses anyone has that make any manner of sense involve alternate dimensions, aliens, magic, an act of God, or all of the above. This event defies all the laws of science we know of, and no scientists anywhere have spoken of any manner of significant scientific phenomena that coincide with this event to give even a starting point of investigation.”

“Are you sure that this couldn’t have been the result of something that one of the world governments could have wanted to keep secret?” Asuna asked.

“That was among the first things we asked of. But although it’s true that each of the world’s major powers, our own nation included, have secret projects that likely won’t see the light of day for a long time if ever, all of them assure us that none of them are even close to being anything as outlandish as this.”

Asuna studied him for a moment, and glanced over to Kirito, who gave a slight nod. They could both see that the man at least believed that he was speaking the truth.

“Very well,” she sighed. “We expected as much, but we couldn’t let such a question go unasked. So here’s a question we all believe that you’re perfectly capable of answering.” She leaned forward, looking Ide directly in the eye with a practiced look of unquestioned authority as she folded her hands under her chin. “Why did the government delay its arrival here for two days? Why was no one sent here in that entire time to so much as check to see how we were doing, if we were alright?”

The delegates were now all downright uncomfortable, as many of the players’ gazes now had an accusatory edge to them. Then, one of the delegates *ahemed*.

“Mr. Ide, if you would allow me,” he said. It was the Army colonel, Kikuoka.

“Very well,” Ide said, a hint of relief heard in his voice.

Kikuoka spoke. “Commander, when Aincrad simply appeared out of nowhere, and directly above our nation’s capital no less, we were already in the midst of starting to panic. You see, right before its manifestation, each and every one of the players still trapped in SAO simultaneously perished. Or, now at least, the bodies that you used to inhabit.”

This prompted no small measure of shock to reverberate through the Council, as they all began to realize the implications of this information. Asuna no less was able to see that.

Kikuoka continued. “Although people came to hope that you all were indeed still alive, albeit still trapped in Aincrad, These two simultaneous events brought about more than a little chaos throughout the country, as people were practically breaking down the government’s doors to demand answers. On top of that, just about every major corporation on Earth decided to give us a house call, every ambassador in Japan was raising a shitstorm about what the hell was going on, and the entire Diet practically exploded in furious debate over how exactly to handle everything. Just about the only sensible things done were the establishment of an enforced no-fly zone around Aincrad to keep random people from getting too close and keep airliners from crashing into it headlong, as well as the Prime Minister giving an Executive Order to send a delegation up here ASAP, which still took a while because of bickering between the parties on who to send. And all of this was occurring at the same time as investigations were being conducted into the phenomenon that were drawing blanks everywhere we looked, as well as speculation on the Internet forums on how everything was happening which were throwing conspiracy theories right and left and casting further suspicion throughout the populace.”

“Suffice it say, Commander,” Ide took over again, standing up from his seat, “that it took us some time to get all of the chaos leashed to the point where we could bring this delegation here without having to worry about some group of people trying to bite our heads off about something or other. However, the Prime Minister has told me personally to communicate his most sincere apologies for not having done enough to help the players of SAO, from failing to find a means to rescue you from the Death Game initially and for not coming to your aid sooner when this latest event occurred.” He bowed deeply and stiffly, with each of the delegates rising to replicate the motion.

After straightening themselves and sitting again, Asuna addressed them again. “We in the Representative Council cannot fault him or the government for failing to prevent the initiation and continuation of Sword Art Online, although we still have words to mince with them on failing to react swiftly enough to our current circumstances, as people still continue to die from various causes all over Aincrad. Still, I believe we can all agree that we`re thankful that they`ve at least willing to swallow their pride and admit they made a mistake. Correct?” She turned to the other Representatives, and each of them either nodded or grunted in affirmation, even Kibaou.

She turned back to the delegates. “Now for our last question: what do you intend to do now? With us, the former NPCs, and Aincrad? What are your plans regarding everyone and everything here?”

Here, Ide once again relaxed, and a slight grin could be seen. “Well, Commander, this is the question that we have come most prepared to answer. While each of these people with me can answer different parts and facets of it in greater detail, I can tell you the overall plan we have. Essentially, we want to make the whole of Aincrad a part of Japan, where her citizens can live, work, and play. As for the ‘former NPCs’ you mention, we will work to incorporate them into modern society alongside everyone else. As for all of you players, you can reenter society in whatever manner you see fit, and any businesses, organizations, or institutions you have established during your time here will likely come under government purview, but for the most part will be permitted to continue so long as they don`t operate under serious violation of Japanese law.”

“So you`ve already considered the possibility that there will be players who want to stay and live in Aincrad, and that many of us have built new lives for ourselves here that we will be reluctant to abandon,” Asuna observed.

“Correct,” Ide replied.

Asuna smiled. “Well, that is as good as we were hoping for, overall. Although, just like you, the other people here are better able to outline our expectations and desires for what should come to pass from this arrangement. I believe they can each confer with your appropriate people separately to make everything proceed much quicker. Don`t you agree?”

“Of course. We came prepared for that exactly in mind. So, shall we get them started?”

“Yes.”

And so, after getting everyone sorted, the Clearer guild and Denizen Representatives went with people from the Ministries of Defense, Justice, Internal Affairs and Communication and Foreign Affairs as well as Kikuoka to discuss the uncleared Floors, the red players, the role of the Denizens in Aincrad and Japan`s future as well as the state of the government and military`s presence in Aincrad ought to be. The Merchant and Farming guilds went with the delegates from the Ministries of Finance, Economy, Trade and Industry, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Environment and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to discuss Aincrad`s potential contribution to Japan`s economy through its businesses and natural resources, as well as its natural environments and wildlife. Finally, the social and information-gathering guilds went with the ones from the Ministries of Health, Labor and Welfare as well as Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to go into detail the information regarding the players` changed states and the uses of local Aincradian technology as well as determine the future status of the player-founded groups and organizations in general, from the Clearer guilds to simple marriages between players.

While Asuna felt obligated to join the Clearer guilds in their parts of the negotiations, the others had made it clear that she wasn`t necessarily required, as they could make their agreed-upon stances clear enough to the delegates, besides the fact that they all noted that she had a “family reunion” to work out with her recently-arrived father.

And so, as the last of the Representatives and delegates filed out of the conference room, she was left by herself, with her only company being her husband, Kirito, and her father.

**Shouzou POV**

Shouzou watched as Asuna`s expression changed from that of a confident leader to that of a nervous teenage girl when the last of the other delegates and representatives walked out the door. He also noticed that the two of them still had one other person still in the room with them. The black-haired and -clothed youth with the two sheathed swords on his back. “Kirito,” the others called him, as well as the Black Swordsman, the Beater, and the strongest player of Sword Art Online, who, along with his daughter, Asuna, finished off Kayaba at the end of the game, just as the Realization happened. He couldn`t help but wonder why he was still here. There was only one explanation for that, considering the nervous disposition on the lad`s face that mirrored hers.

“Well, Asuna,” he said, getting up out of his seat, and walking around the table toward her. “It`s been too long since we last met and talked properly. Right?”

Asuna nodded, her nervousness tempered by her happiness at meeting her father again, but still very present. “Y-yeah. It has. A lot has changed since then.”

Shouzou walked over to Asuna, standing in front of her, with a smile on his face. Then, looking over at the boy, he asked, “Asuna, aren`t you going to introduce your boyfriend to me?”

Both of their faces blushed simultaneously in sheer embarrassment. “W-w-well, kinda, sorta, -ish,” Asuna stuttered, a measure of fear in her voice.

Shouzou patted her shoulder causing her to yelp. “No need to be shy. Two years of fighting and risking your life; I would be surprised if you didn`t have one.” He walked over to Kirito, giving him a slight bow. “Pleasure to meet you. I`m Shouzou Yuuki, Asuna`s father. Would you mind introducing yourself? It seems my daughter has forgotten herself somewhat.”

Kirito stood stock straight, then bowing deeply. “Hello, sir. My name is Kazuto Kirigaya, though I`m known as Kirito in Sword Art Online.” He righted himself again and began to scratch his cheek nervously with his left hand.

Shouzou smiled. The boy was certainly polite and honest, so things were good for him. Looking him over, Shouzou could see that, despite his taste in clothing and current childish demeanor, he could see a young man in that teenage body. “Well, I can see so far that Asuna has-”

There was a glint on the boy`s left hand. Upon closer observation, he saw something metallic wrapped around the boy`s finger.

A ring.

Panic rising in his chest, he immediately turned to Asuna, and looked at her more closely, or rather, at her left hand.

A metallic glint. A ring wrapped around her finger.

One identical to the one around Kirito`s.

**Asuna POV**

His eyes were brighter than that of a deer`s in headlights, and filled with a strange and paradoxical mix of shock, confusion, fear, anger, betrayal, and, happiness?

Asuna steadied her stance, took a deep breath through her nose, and said the words she had been afraid to say since the Realization had happened.

“Father, I would like you to meet Kirito, the Black Swordsman, the Dual-Wielding Hero of Aincrad, and my husband.”


	7. The Apprehension and Joy of Waking Dreams

** November 11, 2024 **

**Aincrad: 1 st Floor – Town of Beginnings – Black Iron Palace**

**Shouzou POV**

Golden sunlight flooded through the window, finally inching close enough to bring its warm caress upon the man who still remained in his bed, asleep.

Slowly, Shouzou Yuuki awoke from a pleasant dream, where he and his family had decided to spend a beautiful afternoon in a park having a picnic, just like a normal family would. Kouichirou found them a wonderful spot in the shade of a tall tree on the slope of a small hill, his beautiful wife Kyouko spread a blanket, and the basket of food – oh, yes. The day passed by as they enjoyed the most delicious sandwiches they ever had, made all the more satisfying knowing that it had been Asuna who had prepared them. Small fish leaped from the stream nearby, birds sang their joyful song in the trees. Wonderful stories of youthful adventure were exchanged all around, well-meaning jokes were shared, accompanied by bouts of heartfelt laughter, and they all had a wonderful time together. It was nothing short of perfect.

Groaning, he mentally wished that he were back in that dream, or that something akin to it was realistically possible. He, his wife, and Kouichirou were always far too busy for them all to even have one afternoon off together, and Asuna had always been driven to achieve academic excellence (both by herself and her mother), so she didn`t have much time for herself to share with the family either. And that was discounting the simple fact that Kyouko despised the idea of doing anything so plebeian and informal as a family. The very least that she would have them do as a family for simply spending time together would be a night out at an expensive restaurant.

As he was about to get up, he felt another presence beside him. Turning over, he at first thought that he was looking at a sleeping Asuna, before realizing who it actually was and smiling as he remembered the first time this little angel came into his life.

_ Flashback Begin _

His head throbbed as he regained consciousness. Opening his eyes, he saw a plain, but very unfamiliar ceiling.

 _What?_ He thought. _Where am I? And why-_

The boy in black. Kirito. The ring around his finger. Asuna. The daughter that he finally had again in two years. The ring around hers.

“Father, I would like you to meet Kirito, the Black Swordsman, the Dual-Wielding Hero of Aincrad, and my husband.”

Husband.

Not boyfriend or even lover.

Husband.

As in she and he had decided to marry each other.

And from the look he saw in her eyes, there wasn`t a hint of amusement or spite, but it showed a hint of fear amidst a face of grave seriousness.

Then black.

 _Must`ve fainted,_ he deduced. Putting a hand to his forehead in reaction to the slight headache, he sat up in what he now knew to be a bed.

“Oh! You`re awake!”

It was the voice of a young girl. Surprised at its sudden vocalization, he turned to its source at the bedside and stared.

What he saw was one of the most adorable little girls he had ever seen. She wore a soft, pink sweater with a frilly purple skirt, shiny black shoes and white socks. Standing probably just below chest height for Asuna, she had silky black hair reaching all the way down her back, with two ropes of it coming down over her front to reach almost as far, framing a pale, petite face with dark eyes. A face that looked at him with a mix of childish nervousness and innocent curiosity.

A face that, although he`d never seen it before, looked strangely familiar.

“Um, hi. Are you hungry?”

He then noticed that she had just place on the nightstand a plate with a wrapped sandwich upon it in and a glass bottle filled with a creamy white drink.

“Ah, thank you, miss,” he replied. Bending forward, he reached out and grasped the sandwich. Lifting it, he saw that it was made with thick slices of brown-crusted white bread between which he could see a couple slices of cooked meat, thick chunks of golden cheese, red berries, some dabs of whitish sauce and a few green leaves. Although he`d never seen the likes of this meal before in his life, he could smell a very delicious aroma coming from it, so he took a small, experimental bite and chewed on it a bit before swallowing.

“So, do you like it?” the girl asked.

He gave her a big smile. “Yes. It`s very delicious,” he replied, before taking another bite. In all honesty, it was the most delicious sandwich he had ever tasted. Some of the tastes he recognized, but there were others he couldn`t quite peg, which he figured was possibly a result of Aincrad`s unique environment.

He also watched as the girl simply lit up with joy at hearing him say that. “I know! My Mommy is the best chef there is! Everything she cooks is amazing!” She paused, looking as if she had just realized something important. “Oh, that`s right! Mommy and Daddy told me to get them as soon as you woke up! Just wait here and I`ll be back!” She turned to the door and began running over.

“Wait,” Shouzou commanded. The little girl stopped, looking back at him. He stood up out of the bed, wobbling slightly but still stable enough to stay upright. “Why don`t you bring me to your parents instead? If they really wanted to see me after I was awake, wouldn`t it be better if I came to them instead?”

The girl was thoughtful for a moment, then, “Okay! Then follow me!” Coming back to him, she then grabbed his hand (the one not holding a very delicious sandwich) as well as the bottle and led him out, beaming the whole while.

As they came to the hallway outside the door, Shouzou realized something. “Excuse me Miss, but may I ask your name?”

She looked up at him with that bright smile of hers. “Yui. What`s your name?”

“Shouzou,” he replied.

As she led him down the corridors of the Black Iron Palace, the two talked about the food they`ve eaten, about Yui`s parents, and about some of Shouzou`s own experiences with his family. Although throughout their conversations Shouzou could tell that Yui was holding stuff back, especially about her past and the identities of her parents, he couldn`t help but be taken by her innocently intelligent inquisitiveness coupled with her energetic, joyful demeanor.

In time, she led him outside to the square in front of the Palace, where excited crowds had gathered, filling out to almost the very edge. He could hear them cheering as the unmistakable sound of ringing and clashing steel filled the air. Yui became more excited and rushed forward, pulling Shouzou behind her as he realized that she was stronger than she looked.

“Ah, Yui,” he called, as she made to push her way through the crowd. “I realize that watching a sword fight is very entertaining, but shouldn`t we be looking for your parents?”

“But my Mommy and Daddy are the ones sword fighting!” she exclaimed, finally coming to a stop. “And there`s no one stronger than them in the whole world!”

Now he was close enough to see what was happening inside of the impromptu arena.

As well as who was inside.

At first, all he could see was a pair of blurs chasing and smashing against one another about on the opposite end of the square, one white and the other black. As he came closer, he could see the black figure`s two blades slicing the air in a whirlwind as it zig-zagged at inhuman speeds, while the white figure danced around even faster while its single rapier, like an immense needle, parried and prodded the blades of the black.

When they were finally close enough to make out the black figure`s pale skin and equally dark hair, as well as the white figure`s red markings and long, hazel hair, Shouzou had already deduced who the two really were, and remembered what he had been told about them earlier.

Kazuto “Kirito” Kirigaya. The Beater. The Black Swordsman. The Dual-Wielding Hero of Aincrad.

Asuna Yuuki. The Lightning Flash. The Commander of the Knights of the Blood-Oath. His only daughter.

The two strongest players of SAO after only Kayaba himself, who they both had slain together.

Husband and wife.

And now, father and mother to Yui, the sweetest little girl he`d ever met.

_Flashback End_

_I had no idea those two had become so strong,_ he thought, as he reminisced about that day. After the battle ended in a draw (both of them thought they had won), Asuna rented them rooms in a nearby inn. There, she explained how she and Kirito had met, gone on adventures together, and eventually gotten married only a few weeks back. They also talked about how they found Yui (this was a huge relief for him), learned about what she really was (this was a huge shock for him) and about how she had been taken away and then inexplicably returned (this was a very emotional moment for him).

Looking at her and watching her sleep, he felt inside of him a deep and caring love for his first granddaughter.

Placing his hand atop her head, he quietly said, “Come on, Yui, time to get up. Today`s a very big day.”

Squirming in her bed, she moaned as she woke up, cracking her eyes open and sitting up. Looking up at him, she smiled cheerfully.

“Okay, Grandpa.”

**Tokyo: Haneda Airport**

**Suguha POV**

She felt them begin to stir when she woke up that morning, from eating breakfast to when she packed her bags. They got mixed up and shaken about when she and her parents got into the car and drove across the city. They became physical feelings that settled into her gut when they arrived at the airport. They were the dull roar of waves crashing on the beach as she waited for her flight to get called. Now, as she boarded the small aircraft, they were a small, but shrill screech that drowned out all other noise, leaving Suguha alone in her mind with her private thoughts, feelings, and fears.

This was the most terrifying day of her life.

That meant that it was also the most exciting.

Today, she, her family, and several other families, were going to Aincrad.

Two days before, a few hours after the government had finally sent a team of delegates up to Aincrad to make contact with the Players, the prime minister had held a news conference. In it, he explained that all of the Players that had survived up to now were okay, and had also largely adjusted themselves to living in Aincrad, even with the recent Realization of the whole thing. Also, right before the Realization occurred, they had discovered Akihiko Kayaba masquerading as one of them, and he had been defeated and slain, but the identities of his slayers would not be revealed at the present time for privacy reasons.

Suguha was filled with relief at the news. Seeing her brother`s corpse had cast a shadow of doubt in her mind after seeing Aincrad`s sudden emergence, but now she could rest easy knowing that her brother (technically her cousin, but details) had survived two years in a Death Game, probably fighting for his very survival. This relief, strangely, also accommodated the news of Kayaba`s death. She didn`t want to think of herself as cold-blooded, but she couldn`t deny feeling a sense of satisfaction at learning that Kayaba, the man who had orchestrated the Death Game, had perished within it himself. In a way, it was poetic justice, and she couldn`t imagine a more fitting end.

When the media asked what the government`s plans for Aincrad were, he said that the government had three initial plans: Reintegrating the Players into general society as smoothly as possible. Put Aincrad through a thorough scientific study so as to utilize its unique properties for Japan`s economic development and technological advancement in both civil and defense sectors. Eventually open it up to the people for settlement, to ease the country`s problems with overpopulation.

Though, upon arrival, the government had learned that there was a lot more to consider than they initially believed. After the Realization, the Players had organized a representative council with which to bring up and negotiate issues with the government. They included the newfound sentience of the NPCs, the fact that the top twenty-five of Aincrad`s one hundred Floors had yet to be cleared, and even the now-superhuman abilities of many, if not all, of the Players themselves. The biggest one, however, was the simple fact that many of them had built new lives of their own in Aincrad, and were unwilling to return to Japan if it meant giving them up.

For Suguha, this was the part that worried her above all else. Despite the comfort of knowing that he was alright, she had no idea what had happened to him over the course of two years in a virtual death game. She didn`t have a clue as to how much the experience had changed him. She didn`t know if he was going to be happy to see her again, or if he was going to just push her away again like he had over the past few years when he had been playing other online games. All she wanted was to have her big brother back, like he used to be in their younger days.

In the end, she reasoned that unless she took the first step to find out, she may never know the answer.

And so, when the prime minister announced that a few families of the Players were going to be permitted to visit Aincrad, she immediately begged her mother and returned father for them to go. They had been thinking much the same thing, although her father admitted that, for him, it would be as much for business as for family time. But for Suguha, all that mattered was seeing Kazuto again, if only for one last time if such were the case.

So now, she took a seat in the relatively small aircraft and looked out the window as the engines roared to life and lifted them into the air. Outside, there were a myriad of breathtaking sights to be revealed to one`s eyes as the plane spiraled on its course: Schools of cottonball clouds drifting on their lonely way through a sea of blue; the steel and glass skyline of Tokyo reflecting the morning light; the swarming of ships and boats busily dragging their white-water tails back and forth about the city`s harbor.

But Suguha`s eyes couldn`t leave that one sight go unseen. That of Aincrad, looking for all the world like it had been uprooted from the top of a steel mountain, complete with massive roots dangling from beneath that would have been able to anchor Yggdrasil. Swords like spires, connected to the fortress from bridges that radiated outward, speared into the sky as if seeking to pierce it and hold the floating masterpiece in place. As the plane neared, the light reflected off the mighty hold`s impenetrable walls, protecting an entire world within its confines.

Leafa has beheld the immense majesty of the World Tree and the expansive world of ALfheim Online, with its lush forests and floating islands. Suguha was not yet used to such fantastic scenery, and to see it so near, growing closer, her apprehensions were simply washed away, as her mind couldn`t afford to hold them any longer as it was filled to overflowing dumbstruck awe. She could only form a single coherent thought, regarding the image before her:

_It`s beautiful._

**Aincrad – 1 st Floor - Tolbana**

**Kyouko POV**

_It`s unnatural,_ she thought.

Looking upon Aincrad as she had been flown toward it in a helicopter owned by RECT Progress, that one word summed it all up for her. So, refusing to look out the window again during the flight until they landed, she took out her tablet and looked through the files of work she decided to download onto it so that she could still attend to business while she was away. But even with work to do, the floating castle still held a part of her attention.

She had no idea how or even why Aincrad had entered the real world, but its presence was unwelcome.

It tied up the expensive attention of politicians, destabilized society, and presented an existential threat to Tokyo that grew with every moment that it remained suspended in thin air above it like a gun held to the city`s metaphorical head.

But most of all, Aincrad and everything it represented had shaken her.

Deep down, she really did love Asuna, even if the people around her might dispute the fact, considering her cold personality and harsh demeanor.

The thing is that Kyouko was born into a middle-class family and, despite a beautiful forest home and loving parents, she simply hated the way of her life in her childhood. She wanted a life of not only wealth, but also one where she wasn`t a nobody in the wider world. She wanted to be accomplished, and recognized for it, and saw the middle class status as nothing but an obstacle for her dreams. And so, through tireless effort and the display of immense talent, she was able to escape her mundane existence and see success in having her work published and even marrying into an old, wealthy, and very well-respected family.

Kyouko believed that this was the best that life had to offer, and she wanted nothing but the best for her children, both Kouichirou and Asuna. It was for this reason that she drove them both to academic achievement and sifted through prospective marriage options for them both, because she wanted the both of them to gain what she had from life, and she didn`t want either of them to get distracted by petty things on their road to success.

Aincrad, however, was the ultimate distraction. It was fantasy made real. A place to where one could leave the real world for escapist delusions. A place where someone could become something other than oneself.

Then, as Sword Art Online began, it became a literal trap, literally locking people away in a dream world, turning into a nightmare.

Even now, Kyouko`s imagination still failed her when she tried to think about what had been going on for Asuna over the past two years. And even though her husband had already departed for Aincrad as a member of the delegation sent two days prior, he had yet to tell her anything about what was happening inside. Apparently, according to the government, the interior of Aincrad was shielded from outside signals, either radio or cell. So, in order for someone to relay a message between the outside world and Aincrad, someone had to physically travel between them to do so. And the only contact she`d had with him was a message he sent through one of the people who had come back from the delegation, which merely stated that Asuna was alive and well, and nothing else.

She didn`t know what Asuna was doing in Aincrad, but she knew that it was holding her back. If Asuna not only made it through the Death Game in one piece but come out stronger from it, then she knew that her daughter had what it took to make her own way in the world. All she needed to do, was get out of Aincrad and come home.

She was snapped out of her mental world when she felt the helicopter slow down and come to a stop, hovering in the air as it began lowering itself to the ground. Shutting off her laptop and stuffing it back in her suitcase, she looked outside the window next to her to see a small town nearby, where she could see idyllic houses, pavestone roads, fountains and squares, and even a small stone-built amphitheater. Out the other window, she could see that the JSDF men who had been brought along had managed to construct a makeshift airfield. While it was nowhere near large enough to service large commercial airliners, it was still capable of handling smaller jets and helicopters.

Outside of both windows, she could see people all over the place. Most of them were players of Sword Art Online, easily identifiable by their largely fantasy-inspired garb, while the rest were either airfield crew or incoming families, each also easily identified.

Stepping out of the chopper as it powered down, she could also see many a heartfelt reunion going on. She could see off to one side a tall dark man, a Player from the axe on his back, lifting up and passionately embracing a smaller woman. Nearby to them, a man dressed in jeans and a gray sweater was caught in a tight hug between a much smaller boy and girl, who laughed and cried in joy at seeing their father again. More often, however, she could see that, although the players were excited, most of them also appeared disappointed that their friends or family hadn`t come, and the same could be said of the returning families. Still, some people from both sides had decided to meet and strike up conversations with people from the other, allowing for the prevalence of a strange sense of camaraderie in the atmosphere.

As Kyouko continued to scan the crowd, she suddenly heard a familiar voice: “Kyouko!”

She immediately identified the source, turning toward it. “Shouzou!”

Striding forward with a gentle smile on his face, he came forward and moved to hug her. Considering the absence, she decided to allow it, and even permit him a chaste kiss on her lips.

“Welcome to the town of Tolbana,” he stated.

Nodding her head politely, she replied, “Glad to be here.”

Then she moved on to the reason she came. “So, where`s Asuna? Why isn`t she with you?”

His face instantly fell. But it didn`t communicate sadness, but a strong sense of nervousness. He grasped her shoulders. “Before I tell you, just realize that our daughter has gone through some very rough times and made powerful decisions of her volition that have greatly affected her outlook on life and her plans for the future. Please realize that, so when you meet her again, please don`t be angry with her or be too rash about it.”

Whenever he spoke, she could tell if he was speaking from a set of notes or from practiced rehearsal, and she could hear it plain as day in his speech. She pushed his hands off her shoulders softly, but very firmly as well, as the look she gave him hardened. “Where is my daughter?”

With a sigh, he simply gestured off to the side, and said, “Over there.”

Looking over, she was confused at first to the sight before her. Although she could easily pick her daughter out among the people, as her long hazel hair and elegant poise were simply unmistakable (she also reluctantly found her white and red outfit to be rather fitting for her), she didn`t know why Asuna was talking with the particular people she was with. Conversing with her was a girl with short black hair dressed in a red jacket and navy blue skirt with black stockings and shoes, who appeared to be quite nervous meeting Asuna, who appeared to be feeling slightly awkward herself. Also standing beside Asuna was an even smaller girl in white with long dark hair who was also looking curiously at the opposite girl. Something passed between the three and soon they were all laughing about it.

She was about to begin approaching her daughter when she noticed three more figures come along. Two of them were clearly married adults, the wife every inch appearing to be a very loving parent and the father a well-dressed and distant-seeming businessman. The third was a young boy, clearly a player from his neck-to-toe black gear and the two swords on his back, and the couple`s son, if she was right. He waved his hand and said something, and all three girls looked at him and came to him as well. As they stopped, he addressed Asuna directly and said something to her.

Kyouko could only watch when she saw Asuna`s become filled with joy and then throw her arms around the boy in black, who did the same in turn.

Then become frozen as she saw the two them share a romantic kiss with one another.

She couldn`t bring herself to admit what she saw. She couldn`t bring herself to believe that Asuna would do something so drastic, even during the Death Game. She knew what Asuna needed in life in order to have it all, because only then she could live happily. She didn`t want to believe that her daughter had thrown her whole life away on such a rash reason as young love. She didn`t want her daughter to be ruined by a worthless boy who stole her heart.

And even as the two separated, when Asuna bent down and lifted up the small girl, who laughed with all the joy of innocent childhood as she was brought in the middle of a loving hug from both Asuna and the boy, she didn`t want to believe that she had been fooling herself her entire life.

Her eyes were beginning to become clouded. She slammed them shut, and turned away, forcing her emotions to stay down. She felt her husband`s strong arms come to her, and she didn`t refuse them. Her emotions had never run this wild before, as it felt like she was trying to put a harness on a wild stallion. She was so focused on this task, she didn`t notice someone approaching her.

“Hello.”

She stopped. Her husband`s arms fell off. She turned around. And there was Asuna, her daughter, looking like a day hadn`t gone by for her in the past two years. Except, in her eyes, Kyouko could see a sense of confidence, power, and even happiness that she had never seen in her daughter before, not even when she came home to show a report card of perfect straight As. She could see both the young girl her daughter was, and the young woman she was becoming.

“Asuna,” she said simply.

“Mother,” her daughter replied.

Kyouko leaned forward a little, looking closer. “You`re a little pudgier than I thought you`d be.”

Asuna blanched. “HEY!”

**32,000 ft. above the Pacific Ocean**

**Unknown POV**

The man examined the files again.

Pictures of Aincrad from afar and up close, both during the day and at night.

Real life profiles of the members of the Representative Council.

Imagery of some of the monsters and Bosses from the game retrieved from Argus before its bankruptcy.

People in charge of the SAO servers` maintenance at RECT Progress.

There was so much to go through, but there was plenty of time to go through it.

Going through, his eye caught one face in particular. Although her real name was clearly fake, he`d recognize her anywhere, even with the whiskers on her cheeks.

He chuckled to himself. “Me oh my, someone`s been making herself busy. I didn`t know you were part of the Death Game, let alone that you had escaped death. Well, no matter. I`ll be the first one to find out how Kayaba made his Stone. And who knows, maybe I`ll even use you as material to make it.”


	8. Chapter Seven: The Ongoing Collide of Worlds and Lives - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, allow me to say that I am REALLY SORRY that I haven`t updated this sooner! Second, my muse has been wandering. A LOT. I have been dealing with school, work, other fanfiction projects, reading other works and watching other shows, distracting me from getting back to this. I can only hope that this next chapter can bring you to forgive me (but only somewhat, considering this is only half of what I wanted to get addressed in chapter seven).

**November 12, 2024**

**Aincrad – 1 st Floor – Black Iron Palace – Conference Room**

**Argo POV**

_What am I going to do?_

This thought had been running about through the Rat`s mind every moment of every day ever since the Realization. It was merely the surface of a deep-rooted fear that she had long held buried deep within herself. During the Death Game, it had driven her to become an information broker, so that she could answer the increasingly conspiratorial questions that constantly bubbled to the surface of her disturbed mind.

_And so that I could get out of there BEFORE HE FINDS ME!_

Ever since the time she had taken that trip to America, her entire life had been on pins and needles. She had been forced to fake her own death, scavenge through as much of the underworld as she could stand in order to get back out without notice from on high as well as formulate a brand new identity that would hold up to scrutiny. And do so the entire time with the knowledge that there were people in the world who were chasing after something that would literally give them the power to reshape the world however they saw fit.

_And that they were willing to do anything to get it, even kill whoever got in their way._

At first, her further investigations turned up nothing but baseless rumors and ancient legends. Then, Akihiko Kayaba produced his NervGear practically out of nowhere. Although virtual reality technology had been going through rapid development over the course of the last decade, the NervGear represented a leap through several generations of technological advancement as well as a quantum leap in neuroscience. Looking at how Kayaba demonstrated the mechanics of his machine, Argo could not help but think that the man had somehow managed to get his hands on that very same power she so feared, and had thus utilized it to build his machine.

_Hey, fanfiction author! You`ve already used your lazy fan-writing to alter the nature of the multiverse so that you can somehow lay down the foundation for your own epic future crossover of your own original epic storylines but get out of Sword Art Online and the other anime you`re writing fanfiction about and START WRITING YOUR OWN STUPID STUFF!_

**[OKAY! OKAY! OKAY! I WILL! BUT AT A TIME OF MY OWN CHOOSING! AND AFTER I AM SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRESS I MAKE IN THESE STORIES THAT I DON`T REGRET LEAVING THEM TO ROT!]**

_Sheesh! You don`t have to shout! Oh, and if you`re gonna keep going, just get to the big meeting already, Asu-chan`s about to start talking._

**[Getting there..]**

**Asuna POV**

“Thank you all again for coming,” Asuna declared.

Looking out from her seat about the table, she set her gaze upon the other seated members of the players` “Council.” Most of them maintained a semblance of civility and dignity in their faces and posture. Triton, whose comrades were picking up the slack in patrolling duties to allow his attendance at this meeting, stood out with his military bearing and stoic face. Argo was slouching in her chair as usual, although the look of slight concern on her face was a departure from her typical demeanor. Kibaou still held visible rage in his features, but they were greatly subdued from the first meeting they held.

Asuna continued. “It`s been five days now since the Realization happened and three since the negotiations with the government delegation began.” A collective groan resounded through the room. Even Asuna had to sigh. “Yes, I know. None of us enjoyed doing that. They were-”

“Stiff and boring,” Argo said.

“Snobs with a stick up their ass,” Klein.

“Timid and easily cowed by a strong opposition,” George.

“Selfishly obsessed with their political careers,” Yulier.

“Abso-freaking-lutely annoying, politically correct, self-righteous pricks,” Kibaou.

After a moment of silent nodding and quiet agreement, Asuna continued. “Yes, they were all of that, and more. Unfortunately, these same politicians and bureaucrats are the same ones who run the government, so if we want to make sure that the future we want can happen, we have no choice but to deal with people like them.”

“Good thing that they aren`t going total hard-ass on us,” Agil remarked. “Ever since contact with the outside world got re-established, one thing that`s been pretty consistent from what I`ve heard is the pressure these guys are under.”

“The eyes of the world are upon us,” Tucker spoke. “And they are under as much scrutiny as we are, because if anything goes south, a lot of blame will fall on them for screwing it up, probably costing them their careers.”

Nods and affirmatives confirmed the general move. Seeing an opening, Asuna decided to advance the meeting. “Alright, now that we`ve sorted our feelings about all this, let`s get down to what we all came here for: getting each other updated and appraised on the progress of the negotiations, their likely outcomes, and other important information we will all need to know. So, who would like to start?”

“I would,” a proud, feminine voice sounded. Looking over, Asuna saw a mature, tan-skinned and dark-eyed woman with long, lavender hair and pointed ears. Smiling a little, Asuna conceded. “Go on ahead, Kizmel.”

Kizmel was easily the most distinctive member of their group. The players had been quick to realize after their first meeting that they were going to need someone to speak on behalf of the Denizens so that they would get a say in whatever fate would befall them when the government delegation arrived. At first, they had convinced a few local merchants in the Town of Beginnings to helm their representation, but the players were pretty quick to remember Kizmel soon after and managed to successfully track her down and convince her to take charge instead. They figured that, with her prior experience with the “Quested,” as the Denizens referred to the players, as well as her intelligence would serve her well in representing the interests of the Denizens to the Japanese government.

Kizmel cleared her throat. “Seeing how informal this council is, I will make my points brief. The Japanese government, mostly their Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been surprisingly accommodating to the needs of the Denizens. Initially, they had been under the impression that we would be as you all described us as before this, Realization: Mindless semblances of people. You have thankfully disabused them of that notion, so they`ve been tiptoeing the issue about us. They have confessed a desire to assimilate our peoples into their citizenry, but I`ve managed to talk them down into approaching each group uniquely so as to discuss with them what degrees of political and economic independence they wish to assert. I may not be knowledgeable about the Japanese government`s politics, but their inexperience in negotiating with cultures and peoples upon first contact shines brightly, as well as their ability to discuss what to do about deals over the politics of acquiring and controlling new territory.”

  _That seems true,_ Asuna thought. Japan hadn`t made significant gains or loss of territory since World War II. Although there had been disputes over scattered islands with Russia and China in the years since, the nation hadn`t officially gone to war either in that time, despite once sending troops to support the U.S. occupation of Iraq in 2003. There`s been a lot of saber rattling between Japan and China in the last decade, with the nuclear arsenals of America and China pointed at one another, no one had dared to make a move against the other. Japan had become largely a country that thrived on peaceful economics since World War II, so this sudden encounter with potentially hostile peoples in Aincrad has definitely rattled the Japanese diplomats, who would definitely not be in favor of starting a war at the risk of their careers.

“Are there any specific details in your negotiations that we may need to know?” Agil spoke up.

“At the present moment, no,” she replied. She turned towards a different player. “Would you like to continue, Guildmaster Thinker? You and the other Clearers were somewhat involved in the same discussions as the concerns you were laying out overlapped with mine to a great degree.”

“Thank you,” Thinker replied. He then addressed the group: “I, George, Klein, and Kibaou largely spoke with the Ministries of Defense, Justice, and Internal Affairs and Communication.  With Defense, we addressed the possible benefits and issues that would come with clearing the next twenty-five Floors, as well as making requests for military aid from the JSDF so as to clear them easier and more quickly. They`re pretty hesitant to make an immediate press to use military force, but it`s definitely a viable option that will likely be permitted.

“One of the bigger problems we are likely to face in the future, however, is the Ministry of Justice and the treatment of the red players. They`ve made it clear that, while they personally have come to believe that each of the red players we`ve locked up are guilty, they say that, professionally, it would be difficult, if not nigh impossible, to prosecute them with the maximum sentence for their crimes. A good lawyer would use the lack of physical evidence and pleas of insanity to get them off with lighter sentences. They`ve promised at the very least to make sure they remain contained while things get worked out, which will likely take some time.

“As for Internal Affairs and Communications, their concerns are primarily for the establishing of a means of communication between Aincrad and the outside world that is both efficient and secure. As I`m sure we`re all already aware, whatever it is that is keeping Aincrad airborne and whatever the physical structure itself is made of, they are preventing direct, wireless communications from Aincrad itself to anywhere outside. They literally need someone to fly outside of Aincrad`s radius to get a message out, and for someone to fly in in order to bring new information to whoever is inside. This also prevents people from different Floors from communicating with one another through the same means.”

“So, let me guess,” Agil spoke up. “They want access to these handy new crystal tablets we have so that they can figure out how to do just that. Am I wrong?”

“You`re absolutely right, Agil,” Argo stepped in. “One thing that a lot of us have forgotten is that, despite the overflow of fantasy elements in Sword Art Online, all of these crystals we use act more like technology than they do magic. When the people from Science and Technology noticed that, they immediately pounced on trying to get us to cooperate in investigating exactly how they work, on top of all of the OTHER things they want to dissect, from the monsters to us.”

“What about Education, Culture and Sports?” Asuna inquired. “They`re wrapped up in the same Ministry as Science and Technology. And you also talked with Health, Labor and Welfare, so what other input did they have?”

“Whoa! Whoa! Sheesh, Asu-chan, let a girl finish her point. But yeah, there was a lot more the guys I talked with wanted. They wanted all the information about how we`ve developed as a culture in the time we`ve been trapped, all of the different socio-economic issues that we consider the most pressing, the possible health hazards to look out for… Oh. And how well educated we are in relation to the work we`re doing.”

Klein raised an eyebrow. “Educated?”

Argo nodded. “One of their firmest positions was that if someone hasn`t finished school, they MUST. No questions asked. Whether they`re a town player or a Clearer.”

“Yeah, there`s actually something that Thinker forgot to bring up,” George spoke up. “Because of the issue of our current, superhuman nature. Due to this, the Ministry of Justice pointed out the very real possibility of facing restrictions in the future, most particularly age limits on possessing weapons and even being a Clearer in the first place.”

“Yeah,” Argo said. “Those guys also said that, considering the _*ahem*_ trauma we`ve undergone, they`re probably gonna put a whole lot of us through the ringer to make sure we`re not mentally unstable and a danger to ‘normal’ society.”

“So, before we continue,” Asuna interrupted. “Can everyone else confirm similar statements from the government people they spoke with on the basis of our stats as well as concerns on what role child and young adult players have going forward?”

Nods and yes`s all around.

Asuna sighed. “It`s not like we didn`t see this coming.”

“Still,” Sasha pondered, finally gathering the courage to speak up. She could attend the meeting because some of the children from the church had seen their parents arrive the day before, so the new arrivals had offered to look after things while she was at the meeting. “There are a lot of us who are, in the eyes of the world, still children. And children still have their whole futures to think about and get ready for. They still need their parents to help them learn the lessons they need to know to get by in life, and schools to go to so that they can get the tools they need to support themselves.”

“On the other hand,” Argo started. “There`s a lot of us ‘children’ who probably feel that Aincrad has given them everything they need to get by in life. Some of us have learned to survive, craft, gather, fight, and even lead. The soil`s fertile and very good for farming, the forests have lumber, herbs and a lot of game, the mountains are chock full of minerals, and the waters have got plenty of fish to spare. Hey, Tucker,” she called out. “Would I be wrong if I said that the mooks you talked to were practically drooling at the amount of money Aincrad would make them?”

Tucker sighed. “That is pretty much the gist of it. Aincrad is a gold mine to them on everything from natural resources to tourism to housing and urban development. Everything in this castle has untapped potential for the Japanese economy and they are completely mesmerized by the dollar signs in their eyes.”

After a moment of all-around grumbling, Asuna asked, “How much progress have we made in getting our points pushed across?”

Argo sat forward. “Well, on the positive side, we`ve gotten them to concede addressing the different issues of younger players on a more case-by-case basis for those who are demonstrably independent in their activities, while those who are clearly dependents, like Sasha`s kids at the church, will go back to their normal lives before SAO, with a few caveats, of course.”

Kibaou spoke next. “While they definitely would like to keep us all on a leash, we have managed to impress on them why we should keep on policing ourselves and doing business our way with as little outside help as possible.”

Agil jumped in. “On that topic, we`ve also convinced them for the most part to allow the guilds to remain intact as well as permit businesses that players opened and operate to keep going, and we`re working out the issues of how to trade col for yen. We`ve also almost made sure that those of us who do stay in Aincrad will have first dibs on everything here, from home and land ownership to rights on extracting resources.”

“So basically,” Asuna asked. “Despite a few hurdles and issues, we`re making progress on the issues we`ve pushed forward?”

Everyone confirmed it.

Asuna then turned to Triton, who had remained silent throughout. “Is there anything you would like to add, Triton?”

After a moment, he nodded, and then spoke. “After my guild learned of the arrival of the government delegation, my guildmates were able to get me down here so that I could see about a way of getting into contact with my commanders so that I and my men could return to service. They have been able to do just that. In fact, just earlier today, I`ve learned of several things that you all should be made aware of.”

Everyone, Asuna included, subconsciously leaned forward.

“The first thing is that the winner of the 2024 presidential election was Senator Emmanuel Pryor, who ran on a bipartisan third party platform with the public support of not only high profile Republicans and Democrats but even the President himself, so Japan can continue to expect the strong support and friendship of the United States against China and Russia. Second, the United States has sent a carrier group to help bolster Japan`s defenses to make sure that no one takes a pot shot at Aincrad. With them has come some people who I actually know personally, so we`re all in good hands.”

This was accompanied by sighs of relief from the players. Knowing that the United States still had Japan`s back ensured that any outside interference with the ongoing events in Aincrad would be limited in measure and scope.

Asuna then asked, “What about the rest of the world?”

Triton shrugged. “Not much is all that different. The War on Terror is winding down even further though, my superiors project that we can officially declare it over within the next six months. The Israel-Palestine issue is still touchy, but diplomats are getting closer to a solution. Central Africa is still a warzone, Europe`s still recovering from the collapse of the EU, Latin America`s still a revolutionary hotbed, and Russia and China are still not your friends. Nothing much is different than before.”

Asuna nodded, satisfied with his answer. “Thank you, Triton. Is there anything else that anyone feels they need to add?” Silence. “Alright. I guess we`ll meet again when we need to, but for now, let`s get back to what we were doing before.”

The council thus adjourned, as everyone pushed out their seats and got up, talking with one another in small groups as they left. As Asuna was getting up, Klein came over.

“Hey, Asuna.”

“Hello Klein,” she replied. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I just wanted to ask something,” he admitted. “Where was Kirito? I thought he would be here.”

Asuna just smiled, letting herself chuckle. “He`s fine. Just attending to some… family matters.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is to be Continued in Part 2! Please leave honest reviews before you surf off to other regions of the underbelly of the Internet.  
> How shameful can you be, Xavier Rall? Or should I call y-  
> [BY MY AUTHORITY AS THE AUTHOR OF THIS FAN-WRITTEN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OF SWORD ART ONLINE, I HEREBY REVOKE YOUR FOURTH WALL-BREAKING POWERS FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]


	9. Chapter Seven: The Ongoing Collide of Worlds and Lives - Part 2

** November 12, 2024 **

**Aincrad: 22 nd Floor – Lake near Coral**

**Suguha POV**

“Hey, Sugu,” Kazuto said.

“Y-yeah?” Suguha asked, trying not to take her eyes off the focus of her attention.

“I’m amazed it didn’t occur to me already, but this is our first time going fishing together, right?”

“Huh?” she reacted, turning away from her reel and bob to look back at her brother, who was dressed for the sunny day in a black t-shirt, khaki shorts and sandals. She herself had come to the lake in a blue shirt, black shorts, and flip-flops.

“Well, now that you mention it, I don’t think we have,” Suguha mused.

“Even better, this my first time fishing, ever!” Yui proclaimed from her seat next to Kazuto, as she held her pole and waited for a fish to bite.

Suguha smiled again as she looked at Yui. The girl was one of the most adorable little things she had ever laid eyes on, but the sight was still accompanied with a small stab to the heart: she was a permanent reminder of the fact that Sword Art Online had separated her from her brother for two years, and changed him in ways that she was still taking great pains to fathom.

And it wasn’t just Yui, either. It was also the radiant girl that had been standing hand-in-hand with Kazuto when she had finally been reunited with him the day before: Asuna.

_Flashback Begin_

When she and her family had landed at Tolbana, the first thing she did when she got off the plane had been to look for Kazuto (instead of retrieving her luggage). Soon, out of the crowd of people that had gathered around, with select members receiving passengers with open arms and cries of joy, she heard her brother’s voice. The awkward moment resulted in an even more awkward introduction courtesy of her older brother. He was able to get the names out for both the apparent girlfriend and her little sister when their parents arrived behind Suguha. They took one look at the situation and decided to pull Kazuto off to the side for a quick chat, leaving Suguha in front of Kazuto’s newly revealed lady friends.

Left alone in front of the two girls, Suguha felt very uncomfortable, and she could see it reflected in the older girl’s eyes.

“So, uh, you’re Kirito’s sister, right?” Asuna clarified.

“Huh?” Suguha wondered. _Who’s Kiri-_ “Oh, you mean Kazuto! Y-yeah, I-I’m his sister! I mean, we did grow up together and all...” she sputtered, failing miserably to put a coherent statement on her relationship while dealing with the sudden reminder of the actual nature of her blood relations with Kazuto that she’d learned during his time in SAO.

“Are you sure?” Yui interrupted.

“W-what? Of course, I’m sure! What would make you think that?”

“Because you’re not wearing black like he does.”

Suguha was instantly reminded that Kazuto had showed up dressed all in black, and how much her brother had been wedded to dark clothes for the last few years, then letting out a giggle at that.

“Wait,” Asuna said, a bemused smile forming on her face. “You mean his wardrobe is just as bad IRL as it is here?”

“Yeah,” Suguha replied, letting the good humor dispel her discomforts. “All of his shirts and slacks are black, navy blue, or some shade of gray. He has no fashion sense at all!”

“I know!” Asuna exclaimed.

The three girls shared a laugh over their collective disapproval of Kazuto’s color choices, and Suguha felt like a bond was now forming between them.

“Hey, Asuna!”

The three turned to Kazuto, who was waving his hand as he came toward them, Suguha’s parents behind him.

“Hey,” Asuna replied. “So, what did your parents want to talk to you about?”

Kazuto’s smile grew warm, softer than Suguha had seen it in a very long time, and then held up his left hand, which Suguha noticed had a metal band on his ring finger.

“About how they want to help us stay together forever.”

Asuna’s face lit up, she threw her arms around him in joy, and he gleefully returned the embrace. After a moment, the two separated enough to bring themselves back together for a romantic kiss.

Suguha felt a whirl of emotions inside of her, as she fought to determine how best to come to terms with what she was seeing, as Yui then entered the picture, coming join the new family’s group hug. There was happiness for seeing her brother find someone to love so dearly. Confusion for not understanding how such a love happened. Sadness for realizing that she no longer fully knew the boy who had been raised as her brother all her life. Anger at being separated from him for so long. Even a little jealousy directed at these two girls for connecting with him in a way that she hadn’t in years.

And fear that they would take him away from her forever.

_Flashback end._

She couldn’t stop the small stab of pain in her heart as she remembered that moment once more. Thankfully, it was much less painful than all the other times she had felt it so far, as she continued to bond with Asuna and Yui over the course of that day. After Asuna had found her parents, the two (three?) families went over to the rooms that had been rented for them, where they all continued their interactions. When it was lunchtime, Asuna prepared sandwiches for everyone, with Yui at her side enthusiastically helping put them together. They were the best sandwiches she had ever tasted, and she recalled that it permanently endeared Asuna to Suguha’s father, who gave his very earnest and open approval in Kazuto’s choice of wife, which led to a healthy round of embarrassment and laughter.

For much of the rest of that day, while Kazuto and Asuna had taken the time to talk to both pairs of parents involved, Suguha had played with Yui. Learning from Kazuto and Asuna that she had once been an AI explained some of the strangeness in how she talked, especially when she went on weird tangents about human psychology, (the moment when she dissected Suguha’s buried romantic feelings for her brother was particularly embarrassing and eye opening). However, she found that Yui was a pure joy to be around, especially as the two of them were given leave to walk around town, so long as they didn’t leave its perimeters.

The two of them took the time to enjoy the town’s few but pleasurable sights, including a ruinous amphitheater, a public fountain, and a splendid view of the surrounding fields and the impossible platforms that rose up at random throughout, with exotic wildlife in the air and on the ground.

In that time, Yui shared with Suguha the various experiences she had with Kazuto (she calls him by his handle, Kirito) and Asuna. She talked about how frustrated she was when her parents had to leave her at the orphanage when they both had to help the other players in the aftermath of the Realization (Suguha noted that it was a strange coincidence that the event was referred to by the same name inside and outside of Aincrad). But she talked very energetically about when she saw her two parents in action when they battled the mobs or sparred with one another, and she loved most of all to talk of the little things they did together as a family, from enjoying spicy food to going to bed all together.

That night, when everyone was going to bed, Yui surprised her by asking if she could spend the night with her, saying that she wanted to do it with each of her family members when she could, so that each of them could better love her as a member of their family. While Suguha explained that she didn’t need to do that, Yui was insistent on doing so, making Suguha giggle. And when the two curled up to sleep, Suguha heard Yui say, “Good night, Aunt Sugu.”

Suguha took a moment from her recollections and her blank watch of her rod to turn to Yui, who was attentively watching her own pole, a determined look on her face as she waited for a fish to bite. Judging by how hard she was gripping the pole, however, Suguha could see that she was running out of patience.

“Daddy, how much longer?” Yui asked Kazuto.

“As long as it takes, Yui,” Kazuto replied. “Fishing is, for the most part, a waiting game. You have to find a spot to fish, get as close to it as you can, and cast your line as close to it as you can. Then, the only thing you can do after that is wait. Wait and pray that you’re lucky enough that a fish swims by and likes your lure enough to bite it.”

“Have you ever caught a fish before, Daddy?” Yui asked.

Kazuto opened his mouth to answer-

“By yourself,” she clarified.

His mouth closed.

“Looks like we probably won’t be having fish tonight,” Suguha moaned, as she returned her gaze to her rod.

One of the reasons they were here was to catch a fish or few for dinner, so that when Asuna got back from the Council meeting and dealing with business with the Knights of the Blood-Oath, she would have the freshest ingredients possible to show off the full extent of her newly acquired cooking skills. While other mobs like boar or rabbit would provide something more succulent or the giant insects and other fantasy creatures would provide a more exotic flavor, Asuna and Kazuto didn’t want to creep their families out by having to butcher a freshly-killed animal or scare them off with something too macabre. Hence, the much cleaner and less gut-wrenching process of preparing a fish in comparison to other animals made it the obvious choice.

More importantly than that, however, was the dual opportunity for showing off the cabin house that Kazuto and Asuna had the 22nd Floor as well as the bonding that came with enjoying a quiet and relaxing fishing trip. Unfortunately, the four adults were unwilling to go, as the two men desired to take advantage of their early access of the proverbial goldmine that was Aincrad to make inroads for their respective business interests, and Mrs. Yuuki was simply uncomfortable going anywhere in Aincrad in general, and Suguha’s mother decided to keep her company. For a moment, there was protest at even allowing the remaining three to go by themselves into the wilderness, but it was assuaged by Kazuto’s assurance of its low threat level and his overwhelming strength.

Still, that small piece of conversation was a pointed reminder that although the Death Game of Sword Art Online was over, Aincrad was still filled up on every Floor with monsters waiting and willing to feast on human flesh, and reports were still coming in of players dying, even after the Realization.

This in mind, Suguha addressed him: “Kazuto?”

“Yeah, Sugu?” he replied.

“Um,” she hesitated, thinking over her reply. “Were you scared? When SAO began?”

A shadow fell over Kazuto’s face. “Yeah. The moment that the greatest game I ever played had become a death trap, I was terrified. I tried to cover it up by acting tough and relying on my skills to start clearing it, but it was there, deep down. After a while, however, I just, became numb. I watched so many people die, both strangers and friends, that I just stopped really feeling anything. Sure I’d laugh a few jokes at times, but I never really allowed myself to have a serious relationship with anyone, so that I didn’t feel that pain.”

“Until Asuna and Yui,” Suguha said. All throughout yesterday and earlier that day, Suguha had wondered just what exactly her brother had gone through to make it to where he is now. Thinking on it, she wondered just how someone could live like he had for two years, waking up every day to a world that could kill you if you so much as stepped out of town.

His smile returned, and Yui turned to look as well, as he returned her gaze. He put out his hand and patted her on the head. “Yeah. It didn’t happen all at once, though. I first met her a few weeks after the launch, before we started the fight with the First Floor boss. We met on and off for the next year-and-a-half or so, and we butted heads a lot. But, after a couple of adventures together, we fell in love and decided to get together. To be honest, we probably got together a little bit too quickly, but then we stumbled across Yui, right here on this Floor, actually. After she started calling us Mommy and Daddy, we felt like our cabin had become a real home, and that the three of us had become a real family.”

He turned back to Suguha, the same smile still spread across his face. “I still have no idea how Aincrad became real, but one of the first things that happened was that Yui was given back to us, after the Cardinal system had tried to delete her and I had to save her data. I am happier for that more than everything else that’s happened since then, because now we can share everything we have and loved in this world with our families. Because now, I can have the best of both worlds: Asuna, Yui, and you.”

Suguha gasped a little, as his words went right to her heart. She smiled, tears preparing to come from her eyes, as she felt a weight be lifted from her shoulders. She was tempted to lean in and wrap herself around Kazuto in a hug.

But that would have meant letting go of the fishing pole, which like Kazuto and Yui’s, still had its bait going completely ignored so far by the fish.

**Aincrad: 1 st Floor – Town of Beginnings**

**Midori POV**

“Is there really nothing else you want to do with your day?” Midori asked.

The woman she was addressing, Shouzou Yuuki, was seated at the desk in her rented room, typing away on the laptop computer she had brought with her to Aincrad, hooked up to a portable charger that gave it forty-eight hours of run time. Paper files were also piled up and spread out alongside her computer. All this so that she didn’t have to stop working while in Aincrad. Midori sympathized with her since her job made her a very busy woman as well, but the Realization had convinced her company to give her plenty of leave to make time for going to meet her son after the government had granted her family an invitation to Aincrad.

“I came here to see my daughter and then bring her home. I feel no need to see any more of this place than I already have. Besides, there is much more that I will have to attend to once I return home, so I want to get all that I can out of the way while I’m here so that I can place my focus upon these matters later.”

“Dealing with how Asuna’s marriage with Kazuto will affect your relationship with the rest of your extended family?” Midori interjected.

Her typing didn’t slow, but the slight tensing of Kyouko’s shoulders and furrowing of her eyebrows didn’t go unnoticed by Midori’s sight. “I imagine that your husband told you as much about that, correct?”

Midori nodded in return. Although everyone had met one another the day before, much of that time had been spent discussing Kazuto and Asuna’s adventures in Sword Art Online as well as their newly-revealed relationship. The two pairs of parents on the other hand hadn’t divulged much information about themselves to one another in light of the moment that they were all sharing. Midori shared that she was the editor for an informational magazine on computers. Kyouko said she was a professor of economics at one of the top tier Tokyo universities, Minetaka – Midori’s husband – revealed he was a negotiator for a manufacturing firm to determine where the company’s resources would be best invested. And Shouzou, as everyone already knew, was the CEO of RECT Progress, a cutting-edge technology corporation exploring the latest applications of electronic devices.

What hadn’t been said initially and what Minetaka told Midori the night before after everyone went to bed, was who the Yuuki family actually was. They were an old and well-established family with the main branch based in Kyoto who ran one of the city’s most prominent banks. The branches of the Yuuki family were all well-respected in high society and well-connected in politics, economics, and academics. Because the whole extended family was so prestigious, however, that meant that each of the branch families were all in competition with one another for greater status and respect in high society.

Kyouko sighed, sliding her chair back from the desk to stand up, and turn to look Midori in the eye. “It’s about more than just my reputation. It’s about Asuna’s future. It’s bad enough that Asuna got herself trapped in Sword Art Online. That alone has been holding her back from receiving an education and improving her own self-image. Then this Realization came along and changed her body so drastically that people will think of her as something inhuman, smearing her without giving her the chance to defend herself. But on top of all that, she has latched herself onto your son.”

Midori was shocked and insulted. She wanted to defend him, but Kyouko leveled her with a stern glare and held up her hand as she continued to speak.

“I am aware of what I’m saying, and I have no intention of disparaging your son’s accomplishments during the Death Game. But Asuna is **my** daughter, and I study all of her prospects with an objective and thorough eye. From what I’ve seen and heard about your son up to now, he has a less than stellar reputation. He is regularly roguish and lackadaisical in his attitude. He is a, quote, ‘hard-core gamer.’ He-”

“Fought literal monsters for two years at the risk of his own life.” Midori interrupted.

She immediately continued, not letting up. “He went out almost every single day to the front lines of a war conjured by a madman. He saw people die right in front of him by the dozens, hundreds, and even thousands. He played the sickest game ever imagined and he beat its own maker at it. He saved the lives of thousands of people.”

Midori’s eyes started to become clouded a little, but she pressed on. “He personally saved the life of your daughter. He fell in love with her, and she with him. They found a little girl, alone and afraid, and took her in. They loved her, and she returned it, and they became her mother and father. The same way that I and Minetaka became mother and father to him.”

Kyouko’s eyes widened in shock. “You mean, Kazuto is not your son?”

Midori nodded. “He’s actually my nephew. But when he was very young, his mother and father, my sister and brother-in-law, died in a car accident. So we took him in and raised him like he was our own son. He became like a big brother to Suguha, and we were all a happy family. But then, I think it was six years ago now, he found out that he wasn’t really my son. He had looked online at public records, and he learned the truth about his family. He grew distant after that, playing online games to fill up his time and occupy himself. He kept up his grades in school, but he slipped further and further away.”

She sniffed, as tears began to appear.

“Then SAO happened, and I felt like my world had come crashing down. We had grown so far apart that I feared that the game would kill him and I would never be given the chance to make up for all that lost time again. But now, everything I could have dreamed of for my son has come true: He fought every day to come home, despite the danger. He reached out, and he made friends. And most importantly, he found someone who he truly cares about, and who truly cares about him in return. He has something to fight for now, today and every day for the rest of his life. When my son is passionate about something, he sees it through to the very end.”

The tears made tracks on her cheeks

“And what do you know about my son? Where did you hear about his behavior? Who did you talk to in order to learn the things you did? You had all of yesterday to talk with him and you hardly exchanged a word. In fact, you hardly said anything to Asuna either!”

Kyouko stumbled back as if struck. Midori wiped her tears away and fixed Kyouko with her own glare. “What is it then? Why have you hardly said anything since coming here? Why won’t you talk to your own daughter? Are you… afraid of her?”

The older woman tightened her lips, straightened herself out, and looked back stone-faced. “Leave me be. Even if I know nothing about your son, you know nothing about me. And you know **nothing** about what I **know** is best is for **my** daughter.”

She turned back to her desk, sat down, pulled the chair in, and returned to her typing.

Midori, feeling bitter and ugly inside despite standing up for her son, left the room in silence.

**Tokyo – RECT Progress Headquarters**

**Sugou POV**

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Nobuyuki,” said the American businessman, bowing in respect to his host.

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Harker,” Sugou said, returning the gesture. “Now please, take a seat,” he offered, directing toward a chair.

“Thank you for the offer, but I would prefer to remain standing,” Harker replied.

“Very well,” Sugou replied, seating himself behind his desk.

“To be honest, Mr. Nobuyuki,” Harker began. “I was surprised that you actually decided to humor my offer for cooperation with RECT Progress in the wake of the Realization. I imagine that companies have either been avoiding yours with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole or have been breaking down your door trying to get in on a potential bonanza.”

“True enough,” Sugou replied. While everyone still had no idea how the Realization happened, RECT Progress’ role in overseeing the SAO servers after Argus’ bankruptcy had caused many to draw a connection from the company to the floating miracle that was Aincrad. “In fact, our current CEO is in Aincrad now, working with the government to not only find answers to the Realization, but also to see how RECT Progress can benefit from it. I imagine that will include backroom deals with government officials as well as business deals from the survivors still living in Aincrad. Our access to Aincrad has made us a very valuable and important company for those who have the means and the will to attempt to get a slice of the pie that is Aincrad.”

“And so, this begs the question,” Harker leaned forward. “Out of all the companies you could have chosen to meet with to negotiate such exclusive access, why Zaskar?”

Sugou smiled. “The reason is that, aside from RECT Progress, Zaskar is on the cutting edge of virtual reality interface technology, and from what I’ve heard is even gearing up to soon release a VRMMORPG of its own to rival ALfheim Online in scope, content, and quality. In researching the Realization, we desire the very best minds in the field that can be possibly found. And since the Realization occurred very specifically to a virtual reality game of all things, we have reason to believe that, someway and somehow, there is a very distinct connection between the phenomenon of the Realization and virtual reality technology, one that may even have been exploited by Kayaba himself.”

Harker sat back, and set his hand on his chin. “You’ve certainly put a lot of thought into this. Although the idea is far-fetched, it does make a little sense.”

Sugou nodded. “Scientists may still be discovering new things about the universe, but I find it very hard to believe that this was some random cosmic phenomenon, or we would most likely have seen even crazier things happen that seemingly defy the laws of nature. This also doesn’t feel like the work of God or any other supernatural being, because it just seems a little much for whatever they would do if they act the same now as they always have if they’re out there. Logically, this event was manufactured, and the number one suspect is Akihiko Kayaba himself.”

Harker smiled, as he folded his hands together. “So you have the who, but you just need to figure out the how, correct?”

Sugou was more than sharp enough of hearing to detect the tone in the man’s voice. Like he knew something he was unaware of. “Correct.”

Harker then reached to the case he had set beside his chair, bringing it onto his lap. He opened it and pulled out a file. Standing up, he walked forward and dropped the file onto Sugou’s desk. It was labeled, “ **PROJECT ZOSIMOS**.”

“You should consider yourself lucky that you chose to meet with me,” Harker said with a crocodile smile. “Because I am one of small handful of people in the world who can tell you **how** the Realization happened.”


	10. Chapter 8: Agreement to Pursue an Uncertain Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! THE WAIT IS OVER!  
> Once again, sorry for not doing this sooner. I have been busy as usual with other projects for other fandoms, college and work (not so much with that lately). That and procrastination is a bitch.  
> Also, I shall now do something I have never done before: reply to a review in my actual work. I would normally do this through a private message, but this was a guest review on fanfiction.net, so I can't do that, and the person raised a good point I felt needed to be addressed here.  
> nrvnqsrnero: First, I agree with you wholeheartedly that the process of the SAO survivors reintegrating into modern society would have made for a great story on its own. However, I am a firm believer in the idea that everything in a story must happen for a reason, and nothing can happen on the whim of the author without some internal logic explaining its occurrence. This is why I despise the use of Deus ex Machinas, so I wasn't going to magic up some random Elder God or cosmic force to make the Realization of Aincrad happen. As for the mystery regarding everything, well, what shady people WOULDN'T try to milk something like the Realization for all its worth? With how complex the very concept of bringing a virtual world into reality is, it also makes sense that it's the result of deliberate action, and that the means behind its happening is something that mysterious forces would have been looking into for some time. To put it very simply, there is mystery in this story because, at least in my mind, the story wouldn't completely make sense without it.  
> Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SAO! I like to think I would have done a better job. And a lot of other fanfiction writers as well.

**November 19, 2024**

**Aincrad – System Operations**

**Cardinal POV**

During Cardinal's first days of consciousness, she had decided to create an avatar for herself in the event that she needed to interact with any of the players, something she first put to use when she decided to speak with the entity that possessed the form of the 99th Floor Boss. After that, when she went through her daily ritual of overseeing the System Operations of Aincrad, she found things to be much more comforting if she visualized everything going on.

And so, she envisioned that she sat in the middle of an immense globe with chromatic threads rippling and dancing across the edge and throughout the interior, where different regions corresponded to different functions and sections, and she could will any strand to stretch itself out toward her to be amended. While a normal human might find this visually stunning but thoroughly impractical, she was able to think at a rate millions of times faster than a human, and thus could feasibly do this task in whichever way she liked, so long as it didn't hamper her ability to do her job.

Cardinal continued to be thankful to Kayaba for making her the single most advanced artificial intelligence in history with extensive in-game privileges and powers, even as she also cursed him for leaving her with an immense emotional burden on her newly-realized heart. She was thankful for what he'd made her to be, because if she were anything less, she was certain that she would have broken under the strain of running Aincrad's System Operations.

Weather control – regulating temperature, artificial sunlight, humidity, barometrics, air pressure, wind, etc. Ecosystem balance management – food chain monitoring, wildlife population, plant growth and control, microscopic life watch, etc. Spacial controls – Gyroscope maintenance, motor controls, global navigation, altimeter. Power Generation.

However, the two systems that generated the most conscious attention from Cardinal were Software Monitoring and Threat Assessment.

In the case of the former, Cardinal had found from nearly the beginning that, not only was she able to directly access any and all data on each of the players 'tablets,' but she was able to both detect and even access the interconnected global network of the Internet. What Cardinal found at the same time, however, was that, while it could access both, it was unable to directly connect the two together. While it was possible to connect to the rest of the Internet while SAO was still a game, it had been locked behind a wall of Admin privileges by Kayaba in order to ensure no outside interference during the Death Game.

Unfortunately, this was still the case even now, as she observed that ease of communications between Aincrad and the outside world became increasingly important. Cardinal certainly commended the efforts of the Japanese government and military to set up cellular and wireless internet connections, but she could tell that it would months, if not years, before they were able to establish normal communications between Aincrad and the outside world.

In the case of Threat Assessment, the detectable threats were sorted into either familiarly dangerous, or worrisomely inscrutable.

The list of threats that encompassed the former was extensive, further arranged by level of danger. Intelligence agencies of foreign powers like the KGB and CIA were of course on the list, and actual foreign powers like Russia and China were up there, but they weren't expected to make any directly threatening moves to the players themselves or to Aincrad. Much closer to home was the Japanese government and military, who were regarded cautiously by Cardinal, especially in light of secret dealings it uncovered with American organizations. And, of course, there were the throngs of mobs and Bosses on the remaining 25 Floors that remained to be dealt with, but the aid of the JSDF, if it didn't do anything rash, would make the task of clearing them out much simpler.

Of course, it was those in the second category that truly worried Cardinal. First was Laughing Coffin. While the majority of them had been successfully detained, a small number were still loose. Also, considering that Aincrad was now real, the prison that kept the imprisoned members detained was no longer escape-proof, and without Safe Zones or Markers to instantly determine a player's innocence or criminality, they would have a much easier time blending into the crowd and creating even more havoc wherever they went. And she didn't even want to get started on what would happen if they got their hands on guns, bombs and the like.

The 99th Floor Boss – or whatever was possessing it – was a massive unknown. It was obviously familiar with Kayaba, but Cardinal knew too little about her maker to discern who the figure could possibly be, and she had found coding that prevented her from identifying that he was even a human in the first place. This meant that Kayaba had put the man there on purpose, and had left him there for the players to kill him.

His presence also highlighted something much more worrying for Cardinal: she still had no idea how the Realization had happened, and there was extensive evidence that Kayaba had planned it out well in advance. After all, the underlying infrastructure that made Aincrad viable as a real, livable environment had not actually existed when it was just a game, and neither did the underlying biology of the players or the mobs, nor even the base of how the technology of Aincrad was supposed to work.

Thus she was left wondering not only for how long Kayaba had been working to make the Realization happen, but also how he knew how to make it happen, let alone how he knew whatever principle that even made it possible. On top of that, she was left wondering as to why he even decided to implement the Death Game in the first place, and why even go through the trouble of making a game. All she knew was that everything Kayaba did was deliberate, and that there were others who had knowledge of what he had been doing.

Fortunately, she noticed that the player called Argo was also asking the same questions, and either knew more than she let on or knew better how to get answers to those questions. And this would help cardinal with another issue she had – how to officially get in contact with the players and the world at large, and determine how to best approach this and with how much information.

Cardinal was quick to discern that she had indeed gone over many of these same thoughts before. However, just like many in the human race, whenever someone is forced to confront the same issues and memories of the same events over and over again, one is more than liable to recycle many of the same thoughts. Even if they have done so dozens of times over.

And so, to break herself out of her personal cycle of worry for a short while, she turned her attention to the Starting Plaza in the Town of Beginnings, where a large crowd had gathered in front of the Black Iron Palace – _Thank goodness for Remote Surveillance_. Most of the assembled were players, but she could pick out those from outside easily by virtue of not having watched them for over two years. Family members comprised a large number of outsiders, although the press occupied a prominent position near the front, their cameras and microphones making them stand out even further. Along the edge was a combination of guards from the Army and Legion as well as soldiers from the JSDF, providing visible and comforting security.

The attention of the crowd was focused on the small group standing before the Black Iron Palace, or rather the two groups that stood there, with the representatives of Aincrad standing before a row of flags representing some of the various factions and guilds, and the Japanese ministers before a row of the Japanese national flag. In front of both groups toward the center was a podium, and beside that, a table, with papers and a gilded pen sitting upon it.

On one side was Aincrad's Representative Council, which had been renamed to the Aincrad Interim Governing Committee. Their numbers had also thinned considerably, as some, while interesting in the negotiations to secure their interests, weren't desirous of sticking around to continue running the show. While very few of them had real world experience in politics or major negotiations of any kind, they all had gone into them hardened by two years of conflict and had prepared extensively for the delegation's arrival. By the end, Cardinal could see that they had not only earned the respect of the delegation, but they even secured their primary objectives, as well as other concessions.

On the other side was the Japanese Prime Minister and his Cabinet. They had not been present themselves during much of the negotiations due to initial fears and handling the chaos down below, were able to arrive and help finalize a lot of the details that went into the agreement that would determine Aincrad's status. While further details remained to be finalized, the initial framework that determined the workings of Aincrad's future governance had been fast-tracked for debate and voting by an energized Diet eager to make up for prior missteps and bring the current crisis to a resolution.

The Prime Minister, Watari Ozuma, stepped in front of the podium, thanked the crowd for coming, and began his speech.

**ALfheim Online – Arrun – Central Keep – Ballroom**

**Suguha/Leafa POV**

I can scarcely believe, even now, that everything happening now is real. Only two weeks ago, the world continued to watch the players of Sword Art Online lay in their beds, trapped in both mind and body, unable to reach out to them, unable to do anything to aid or save them, but offer up prayers every day. We knew nothing of what they were saying, where they were going, what dangers they were facing, what they were doing, or even who they were meeting.

For Leafa and the other Faerie players gathered in the Ballroom, watching the speech through a news channel linkup, they knew exactly what the Prime Minister was saying, and it was a sober reminder for all gathered there of the potential destruction and suffering that their wondrous virtual technology could cause. It was what drove many to question the sanity of those who chose to play ALfheim Online, and what made the players of ALO a relatively quiet gaming community.

Then, twelve days ago, a miracle occurred. Through forces unknown, Aincrad appeared in the real world, in the skies above Tokyo itself! And despite some panic on the ground, we were able to enter the flying castle, and discover that all of the remaining six thousand souls still trapped in Sword Art Online alive and well! And more, we learned that the criminal who had created the Death Game had been discovered by the players themselves, and vanquished! It was truly momentous, to learn of the end of a great tragedy, with the emergence of the greatest wonder in human history!

The Realization had very deeply impacted the ALO community. The two most noticeable effects of the event on ALO was the sharp decline in PvP conflict almost overnight, and a sharp increase in talks and negotiations between the Faerie Lords. In fact, everyone gathered in Arrun's Central Keep was here for the first ever Congregation of Faerie Lords. And its focus was verily obvious – what if ALfheim was Realized too? This possibility had led to two other effects that, while more subtle, were becoming increasingly more obvious: a rise in the arrival of new players to ALO, and the increase of the average player's time spent in ALO. Leafa could tell that many, including herself to an extent, were unsure of whether it would happen, but were clearly hoping for such.

But we have learned something truly profound and comforting upon reuniting with our lost friends and family. We learned that they have done more than fight for their lives. They lived them out. Those who were unbroken by despair found work to keep themselves busy. They found friends to keep them company. They found homes to give them rest. They found partners to give them love. Not content with merely being victims or even just players, these people became Survivors. They came together and built a living, breathing, and thriving community. More than just friends, many are now families. And it was truly strange, yet uplifting, when a few families received the privilege of coming to Aincrad and reuniting with those SAO had separated them from.

Leafa tried to keep a stiff upper lip, but emotions are more difficult to hide in a virtual world, and she felt her heart clench and tears flow from her eyes. The two and a half days that she and her parents had spent with Kazuto (she would never call him Kirito) had been an emotional roller coaster of a dream come true. Finally reuniting with him had lifted a weight from her heart, but meeting Asuna and Yui had placed a new one upon it. Meeting Asuna's parents was an interesting experience, but spending time with Asuna and Yui had helped reconcile her to Kazuto's new state of being. However, she still got emotional whenever she was reminded that he was staying in Aincrad, and that he had built a new life – one that didn't require her daily presence.

**Aincrad – 48** **th** **Floor – Lindarth – Lisbeth's Smith Shop**

**Lisbeth POV**

But, through the negotiations as to Aincrad's legal status and in these reunions, we have also found that some of those who were trapped in Aincrad by SAO now refuse to leave, as they have built lives for themselves in this place, and desire to live them out here. And these people are not just overweight NEETs as some would have you believe – they range from teenagers who have had their first taste of independence to parents with families in both worlds to long-time employees of respected companies.

Sitting in her Smith Shop, Lisbeth watched the speech on her tablet, streamed from the tablet of one of her friends who was watching the speech in person. She herself had been forced to think about what her future was going to be in the days since the Realization. She loved her family very much, and if she went back, she could back to her good old days being a student while also doing part-time work at the family's department store. At the same time, she had fallen in love with the work she had been doing in SAO. While the job was a lot more physically taxing now than it was when it had been virtual, it felt a lot more rewarding now, and a number of people who were regular customers of hers were staying.

More than anything else, this was the hottest and most difficult topic to tackle. While debating the rights and privileges of the native peoples of Aincrad was complicated due to their origins, centuries of precedent in similar land cases allowed to agree on the basic principles of their limited autonomy rather quickly. But arguing with your fellow citizens as to how their rights and freedoms apply in the wake of a world-shaking and traumatic experience is, I'm afraid, a debate that continues for the foreseeable future, even after the progress we've already made.

While Lisbeth had been worrying over what to do, communications with the outside world had been successfully established. While its inability to be reached beyond the 1st Floor forced her to physically travel to where the array had been set up and she had to wait in line for hours, she was more than happy to be able to finally talk to her family again after two years. The first few minutes were Lisbeth (or Rika, as was her real name) and her family tearfully greeting and conforting one another as they each expressed how much they missed one another. After they had gotten that over with, Lisbeth broke her dilemma to her family, and how she was split over how she wanted to continue living her life. Fortunately, her family expressed pride in her self-made business, and even said they were willing to help support her maintaining it, under the condition she continued her schooling. She agreed, and although they still hadn't ironed out the last details, she was glad that she felt like she didn't need to choose between her family and Aincrad.

**47** **th** **Floor – Floria – Flower Garden**

**Silica POV**

For now, we have settled on allowing those who are of adult age to decide for themselves whether or not they will stay, allowing those who are between the ages of thirteen and nineteen to negotiate their condition with their families, while all who are younger are immediately returned to their homes. Unfortunately, these are merely basic principles, and there are undeniably going to be special circumstances to be considered regarding individual cases, and there remain a large number who feel as though that those who have undergone this experience are too traumatized to be trusted to make such life-altering decisions.

Sitting on the edge of a fountain, Silica, known in real life as Ayano Keiko, watched the speech with nervous resolution, as she was ready to go home. She was glad to have made as many friends as she did in SAO, like Kirito and especially her pet, Pina. Far and out the best part of the Realization for Silica was having Pina become a real pet, and be able to take her home with her. Tending to Pina's newly-realized biological needs was a chore, but it was more than worth it to be able to snuggle up close to her at night and feel her soft feathers and the warmth of her body. Even though she would miss the friends that would be left behind in Aincrad, she couldn't wait to reunite with her friends from the rea- the outside world and show Pina off to them.

It also came to our attention at this time, that those who were still in school when the Death Game was initiated, are now years behind in their education, and they will undoubtedly need to go through intensive cram schooling if they are to catch up to their peers. Thus, for those who return to Tokyo and remain in Aincrad, special schooling facilities will be established to help the Survivors not only catch up on their studies, but readjust to normal life.

This was one part that Silica was both excited and anxious for. While she had never been the best or worst student in school, she felt that she was at least decent, and going to school with others from the Death Game would allow her to meet up with friends made in that time while enjoying doing something truly normal for a change. It would even give her an opportunity to possibly introduce her old and new friends to one another.

however, these efforts are complicated by the fact that we have also learned that the Survivors of the Death Game have now received superhuman abilities, most notably increased strength, durability, speed, and reflexes. Coupled with their experiences over the last two years, many fear what harm could be brought upon by those who have been scarred by this tragedy. It is for this reason that each survivor, in their own turn, will be required to undergo psychiatric evaluation, each to whichever degree is most fitting for them.

Silica frowned at this. Thanks to Asuna, she and everyone else who was friends of hers had been getting at least semi-regular updates regarding the negotiations. While they had been able to win about as much as they had hoped for regarding the players' freedom to choose where they lived, they were forced to concede ground regarding concerns for their new superhuman physique as well their psychological well-being, and so each of the players would be required to undergo physical examinations and psychological therapy.

All of this is done to assuage the fears of many, but history has taught us all too well that they will never go away. Indeed, these fears are more than justified, as monsters such as Laughing Coffin do indeed exist among the Survivors' ranks, of which I assure that justice will be carried out upon all of those currently locked away. Unfortunately, and I am certain of this, the Survivors will be shunned, hated, and ostracized by people, some of them strangers, some not. This will happen in spite of whether or not they are innocent of any crime. They will be judged and condemned because of what has happened, and this will extend our collective tragedy for even longer than before. And all I can do is ask the Survivors to not give up hope, and to all else to judge each and every one of them as people like you.

Silica could only grip the tablet tighter, not yet willing to confront the possibility that she may never have a normal life, nor even be related to as a normal person again.

**1** **st** **Floor – Tolbana**

**Agil POV**

But in spite of all trials and tribulations, the world will continue turning regardless. Still, we do not need to be heartless with one another when we plan out how we will live our lives. Which is why the government will formally acknowledge any and all private property owned by any of the Denizens or Survivors, and any who have chosen to remain will be given first pick of any yet unsold properties or access to any land for development. Also, each of the Survivors will be allowed to trade in the local currency, col, for yen once an exchange rate is formally agreed upon, whereas any outstanding employment, business deals, property, and debt they had prior to the Death Game will be subject largely to individual negotiations between the respective parties.

Watching on a tablet from a restaurant as he enjoyed lunch, even as Agil noted how thoroughly the Prime Minister was addressing all of the major issues of the negotiations like going down a checklist, he allowed himself a small moment of mental self-congratulation as the Prime Minister came to the part that he himself had worked on. Soon after the Realization happened, Agil had joined the Council largely because of his significance to the other players regarding their equipment. But when he returned to his shop, he was quick to remember how businesses operated in the real world, and realized that he needed physical documents for everything that he owned if he was going to be handle it all. So, after finding a store that sold ink and paper, he had sat down for hours while he catalogued everything, until finally collapsing on his desk form exhaustion. It was thus that he decided to truly take part in both the Council and the subsequent negotiations, because he wanted to secure for himself and all of the other players as much of an advantage as possible in the business world.

All of the legal proceedings and deals aside, the Realization of Aincrad has gifted Japan with many blessings. Wondrous technology, strange biology and unique minerology to advance our understanding of science. Floor upon floor, and mile upon mile of green fields, lush forests and jungles, clean blue lakes, rivers and streams, and tall mountains, all offering up their natural resources and varied wildlife for all who come. And above all, vast open spaces of unclaimed land to house our overcrowded people and encourage the growth of our nation's next generation.

When Agil had gained the business concessions he had desired in the negotiations with the government delegation, he stepped down from the Council, as he had no interest in politics beyond how it would affect his livelihood and had no desire in governing Aincrad. After that, he made contact with his wife, Katie, who had been left behind in the real world during the Death Game, and was currently in Tokyo. He learned from her that his bar, the Dicey Café, was still open and in good financial shape, for which he professed his profound pride and love for her. He and she then talked over what they would do next, regarding their businesses. Right off the bat, the two agreed that the Dicey Café was staying open, as the both of them had invested far too much time and energy into the profitable affair to justify anything else. With that settled, the question thus became more about what they would do regarding Agil's shop in Aincrad. Considering they still had to wait on what travel costs between Aincrad and Tokyo would look like as well as the exchange rate between col and yen, they decided they would default to operating just the Dicey Café for now, but would look for an enterprising businessman with deeper pockets to find a way to continue doing business in Aincrad.

**1** **st** **Floor – Town of Beginnings**

**Klein POV**

It is at this point, however, that we are reminded that twenty-five Floors of Aincrad remain unexplored and unclaimed. They are filled with wild, dangerous, and unknown monsters. So long as one of these creatures remains alive and about without prior action taken, they represent a danger to everyone in Aincrad, and even those in Tokyo below, if they are able to do so. It is for this reason that the JSDF will be deployed to deal with these creatures, and claim the remaining Floors.

Klein, Dale, Dynamm, Harry One, Issin, and Kunimittz, the members of the guild Fuurinkazan, were all gathered together in one of the rooms they had rented to watch the speech. They were originally here to meet the people who had been shuttled up to the 1st Floor from Tokyo to see if any of their family or friends were among their numbers. When there was no one, they waited for the communications array to be established, and then each one got to have their turn talking to their friends and family about a decision that they had all come to as a guild.

Furthermore, in an agreement made with the Aincrad Interim Governing Committee, all Survivors who remain in Aincrad and are of an independent status are free to volunteer to aid the JSDF in clearing the remaining Floors. While we initially felt that we shouldn't ask anything more of the Survivors to involve themselves in any more conflict, we have been reminded that they are still the ones with the most experience fighting these creatures, and are, in fact also battle-hardened veterans. They are motivated by many things, from treasure to glory to a simple desire of closure. But, to those who are willing and able to contribute to the clearing of the remaining Floors of Aincrad, are more than welcome to help however you like.

After the Realization, the six of them had gathered together to celebrate the end of the Death Game. But it was also during that celebration that they also realized three things. First, SAO was one of the most fulfilling experiences they had ever had. Second, they had few things that obligated them to stay in the outside world that they either couldn't put off, or find in Aincrad, such as friends or family. And third, there were still twenty-five Floors left to clear. Thus it was that they decided, as a guild, to stay in Aincrad and join the expedition to clear the remaining twenty-five Floors.

**1** **st** **Floor – Starting Plaza**

**Yui POV**

"With all of that said, allow me now to address the reason we are all right here, and right now: we are here to witness the signing of the Aincrad District Formation Proclamation into law. All other special circumstances aside, Aincrad will be officially integrated as an equal part of the nation of Japan, wherein its residents abide by the same laws as all other districts and prefectures are bound by national law."

Yui was ecstatic, as she not only got to watch this truly historic moment in person, but got to do so while on Daddy's shoulders. At the same time, her old habits of observing people for indications of mental troubles persisted as she looked around at everyone. From what she could see of the Prime Minister, he looked truly weary from the recent upending of the common sense of the world, but also relieved to be doing what he was now, to instill some sense of normalcy. She could also clearly observe the various signs of excitement, ambivalence, and quiet respect from various persons in both the crowd and among the delegates.

"We have all endured much, both inside and outside of Sword Art Online. But today, with the signing of this law, we place the worst national nightmare in over seventy years behind us, and look forward to a new chapter of unprecedented opportunity and wonder ahead of us."

And so Yui, and the whole world with her, watched as the Prime Minister walked to the table, and stood in front of the document. Yui noted that, standing almost right next to him was her Mommy. She looked on with a small, dignified smile, but a strange, mixed look in her eyes. Yui could see Asuna was filled with a sense of accomplishment for her part in what was happening now. At the same time, she could see her weariness from the work, and her worry for what was to come. And, most subtly, she could see that her Mommy felt like she wanted to say something, but seemed like she hadn't been allowed to. From the way she looked at the Prime Minister, she felt pride in the work accomplished, but at the same time, it was clear that she felt slighted.

The Prime Minister lifted the pen, and signed his name onto the paper.

The world erupted in cheer.

**Tokyo**

**Normal POV**

Two glasses of champagne were poured from a just-popped bottle to commemorate the occasion that had just taken place at the location displayed on the wide-screen television for the viewing pleasure of the coterie of businessmen and –women from all parts of the digital industry in Japan. After the two glasses were poured, the two men holding them brought them together, producing a clear ring from the striking of the tall, thin champagne glasses.

"To the beginning of a beautiful friendship," said Sugou Nobuyuki.

"To the beginning of a brave, new world," replied Arthur Harker.


End file.
